Schepen op open water before 1901

This is 'Schepen op open water', made by Bruno Schmidt sometime between 1858 and 1919, though the exact date is unknown. Look at how the light and dark work in this photo, it feels more like a painting, doesn't it? It's a bit blurry and soft and reminds me that artmaking is just another way of seeing. I love how the photo feels almost like it's printed on fabric, that rough texture you can almost feel, it feels so different from a slick, modern photograph. The figures are dark and indistinct, but if you zoom in you can see small details – a hat, a basket, the way the water reflects the sky. It's like Schmidt wants us to think about the whole more than its parts. 'Schepen op open water' reminds me of the work of Alfred Stieglitz. Both Schmidt and Stieglitz were interested in the idea of photography as fine art. I love that art is like an ongoing conversation across time. It's not about right or wrong, but about seeing the world in new and exciting ways.