Place de Neuve, Genève 1895 - 1910

This photograph of Place de Neuve in Geneva, whose maker is unknown, captures a civic scene of impressive buildings, grand squares, and a statue standing proud in the centre. I can imagine this photograph coming into being, shifting and emerging through a careful balancing of light and shadow, revealing a public space bustling with activity. I wonder what it was like to stand at the viewpoint of the photograph, looking out on the scene as people stroll and carriages amble. What might they have been thinking as they pressed the shutter? Consider the composition of the photograph, where the buildings frame the public square, and how the texture and tonality shape our experience of the place and contribute to the emotional resonances of the work. Artists are in an ongoing conversation and exchange of ideas across time, inspiring one another’s creativity. Photography, like painting, is a form of embodied expression which embraces ambiguity and uncertainty, allowing for multiple interpretations and meaning over fixed or definitive readings.