New York gezien vanaf het R.C.A. Building (tegenwoording GE Building), onderdeel van het Rockefeller Center, Verenigde Staten 1936

This vintage photograph captures a view of New York from the RCA Building, now called the GE Building. The image is like a muted symphony in greyscale, with a tonal range that evokes a moody, foggy atmosphere. I wonder what it was like for Wouter Cool to capture such an expansive cityscape? Did he feel dwarfed, or empowered? It’s a fascinating perspective—high above the hustle and bustle, but also deeply enmeshed within it. You can almost feel the weight of the city, its dense architecture pressing against the sky. The texture of the image is smooth, almost velvety, which softens the harshness of the urban landscape. There is a sense of distance and detachment. And yet, as a fellow artist, I feel a kinship with Cool. The simple act of pointing a camera, framing a scene, and immortalizing a moment – that’s a conversation across time, a shared language of seeing and feeling. It reminds me of the work of other city photographers, constantly exchanging ideas, capturing moments that speak to both the grand scale and the intimate details of urban life.