Ruïnes in de Zalmhaven met schepen te Rotterdam c. 1940 - 1945

J. Nolte made this black and white photograph, Ruïnes in de Zalmhaven met schepen te Rotterdam, imagining the ghostly ruins against the still harbour. I wonder what Nolte was thinking as he framed the scene. This photography is not just about documentation; it's a conversation with time and destruction. The eye is drawn to the darks, the sooty remnants of what once was, the soft contrast of the sky beyond. It’s as though Nolte is reminding us that everything changes, like de Kooning’s constantly reworked surfaces. The composition is really intriguing, I wonder if it was intentional that the boats are so much darker than the skeletal buildings. Maybe they are full of hope for the future. It speaks of a world in flux, each element—water, ruin, boat—contributing to a narrative of resilience. I think Nolte captures the feeling of loss, but also a hint of promise of what could be.