Ondergelopen straat en gebouwen tijdens de overstroming van Parijs, gezien vanuit een trein 1910 - 1911

This is a small, rectangular photograph of a flooded Parisian street, taken by G. Dangereux from a train. The image is dominated by muted greys and browns, reflecting the somber mood of a city submerged in water. I can only imagine what it was like for Dangereux to witness this scene, the camera becoming a tool for bearing witness to such devastation and displacement. What was it like to be on that train? The photograph’s grainy texture adds to the sense of immediacy, as if we are right there, peering out of the train window alongside the artist. The composition is simple yet effective, with the horizon line cutting across the middle of the frame, dividing the flooded streets from the overcast sky. There's a feeling of movement, both in the literal sense of the train speeding through the landscape, and in the more abstract sense of time passing, history unfolding. What will be left after the water resides? What will be changed forever?