Beurspleintje te Amsterdam 1907

Here is Breitner's small photograph of the Beurspleintje in Amsterdam. It's an exercise in tonal variation - a symphony of greys. The light seems to flatten everything, blurring distinctions between objects, almost like memories fading into each other. Look how the wet cobblestones reflect the pale sky, creating an almost mirror-like effect, which merges the ground with the atmosphere. This reminds me of my own process, where I often let colors bleed and blend. It is an attempt to capture the feeling of a place, not just its appearance. Breitner wasn't interested in the picturesque, but in the everyday. It feels so modern. This interest in the mundane reminds me of the work of Eugène Atget. Like Atget, Breitner finds beauty in the ordinary, revealing the hidden poetry of the urban landscape. Both artists invite us to see the world with fresh eyes, to find wonder in the unexpected.