Doorkijk in de Voorstraatshaven in Dordrecht met op de achtergrond de overkluizing van het Scheffersplein c. 1900 - 1910

This sepia photograph by G. Hidderley shows a view of the Voorstraatshaven in Dordrecht. The hazy light gives the photograph a dreamlike quality, blurring the edges of the buildings and softening the water. The buildings are captured in shades of brown and grey. The reflections in the water mimic the shapes of the buildings and create a mirrored world. It is easy to imagine the photographer working in a darkroom, carefully controlling the chemicals and timing to achieve this tonal range. Look at the figure in the boat. They are small in the frame, but the eye is drawn to them. Their presence brings a sense of scale to the scene. The way the figure is situated in the boat creates a feeling of harmony within the work. Like Atget’s photographs of Paris, this image captures a moment in time, a glimpse of a world that is both familiar and strange. It reminds me that art is not just about what we see but how we see it.