Ramp te Oud-Vossemeer op 13 maart 1906 1906

This photograph titled "Ramp te Oud-Vossemeer op 13 maart 1906" was taken by the Gebroeders van Straaten. I love the way it captures the idea of an environment in flux. The whole scene is cast in shades of grey, which almost makes the water and the sky indistinguishable. The surface of the water is so still, it's like a mirror reflecting the row of houses, so that they seem to merge and become one with the flood water, which, being the subject of this photograph, seems to seep into every crevice. The buildings have that brick texture with their repeated windows like little modules or containers for life, and they really contrast with the chaos of the scene. What this picture really brings home is the ephemerality of our environment, how quickly it can all be transformed by elemental forces. I am reminded of Camille Corot, particularly his later paintings, and the way he was able to see and convey something new in the world.