Watervloed in Zeeland 1906

'Watervloed in Zeeland' by the brothers van Straaten shows what happened on March 12, 1906. It's a monochromatic photograph that captures the aftermath of a flood. The brothers use light and shadow to emphasize the destruction, and it’s a somber, subdued palette. The texture of the scene is palpable. You can almost feel the mud and debris under your feet. The barrels strewn across the landscape—it’s these material elements that really bring home the emotional impact of this disaster. Look at the way the light catches on those barrels. It almost feels like they're individual stories of loss, each one reflecting the broader tragedy. This image reminds me of some of the landscapes Gustave Courbet painted. He had a way of capturing the weight and texture of the earth. Both artists share a similar commitment to depicting the world as they see it, without embellishment. Art, like life, is messy, unpredictable, and full of surprises.