Para bij Berlijn 1903 - 1910

This small photograph titled "Para bij Berlijn," was made by Hendrik Doijer sometime between 1863 and 1925. It’s a landscape with a river running horizontally across the scene and a bridge in the distance, all printed in a monochromatic palette of blacks, greys, and whites. There's an area on the river, just below the bridge, where the greys become a bit lighter, creating a soft, diffused light. It's almost like the water is glowing from within. This particular spot is fascinating because it disrupts the otherwise consistent texture of the water, making it shimmer in contrast to the stillness of the rest of the river. The image has a quality that reminds me of some of Gerhard Richter's blurred photographs, where the clarity is intentionally softened to evoke a mood or feeling rather than a sharp, defined image. Both artists seem to be exploring the boundary between representation and abstraction, using their respective mediums to investigate how we perceive and interpret the world around us. It’s a conversation about seeing, feeling, and the elusive nature of reality itself.