Gezicht op huizen in de bergen before 1902

This photograph of houses in the mountains was made by S. Minner. It’s a small image, only about 10 cm tall, and you can see the way the tones shift from light to dark to give the impression of depth, especially in the background. There’s an emphasis on light and shadow, which feels like a way to capture a fleeting moment. What’s really striking is the way the photographer captured the texture of the landscape, from the rough, uneven surfaces of the buildings to the misty atmosphere. The buildings are solid but the background is hazy, like a dream. The marks that define the image are almost like brushstrokes, blurring the line between photography and painting. Looking at it, I'm reminded of some of Gerhard Richter's blurry photographs, where the focus is less on clarity and more on atmosphere. Both artists invite us to see the world in a new, slightly abstracted way.