Marktstraat in Bolsward met aan het einde het stadhuis c. 1905 - 1907

Folkert Idzes de Jong made this photograph of Marktstraat in Bolsward sometime between 1877 and 1929. The sepia tones give this image an antique, nostalgic feel. You can almost smell the past, can't you? The composition centers on the town hall, with the eye drawn to the reflections of the buildings in the canal. I wonder what it was like for de Jong, setting up his camera on the banks of the canal, trying to capture a bit of Dutch civic pride. The reflections here are like a painting, an exercise in composition and perspective. And it’s not just about accuracy; it’s about interpretation. Look at how the light interacts with the water, turning a solid structure into something fluid and dreamlike. This little snapshot is a reminder that every artist looks at what has come before and tries to see it in a new way.