Gezicht op Daspoort Range in Pretoria met het postkantoor links op de voorgrond 1901

This image, titled 'Gezicht op Daspoort Range in Pretoria met het postkantoor links op de voorgrond,' is a photograph, but the way the light interacts with the buildings almost makes it seem like a painting. It's got this softness, a dreamy quality, you know? The material aspects here—the paper, the sepia tone—they give it such a tactile feel. It's not just about the image, it's about the thingness of the photograph itself. There's a sort of smoky haze that feels like a Turner painting. Look at the tiny figures in the foreground, each one rendered with such care, like little daubs of paint. It's a world in miniature, all contained within this rectangular frame. The way this image captures light and space reminds me of some of the early Impressionists, the way they were trying to catch a fleeting moment, an impression of a place. It's a reminder that photography, like painting, is always a subjective act, a way of seeing and interpreting the world.