Poort van het Arsenaal of de stadsturfpakhuizen te Amsterdam 1909

This silver gelatin print shows the Poort van het Arsenaal of de stadsturfpakhuizen te Amsterdam. Imagine the photographer, hidden under a dark cloth, carefully composing this shot of the Arsenal Gate. The anonymous photographer, from Monumentenzorg, probably wanted to capture the architectural details, the imposing archway, the texture of the stone, and the sturdy wooden doors. I think the photographer was also thinking about the historical significance of the building, once a storehouse, now a portal into the past. It's a quiet image. The shadows are soft, and the light seems diffused. You can almost hear the echoes of footsteps and the whispers of stories from long ago. In a way, it reminds me of Giorgio Morandi’s still-life paintings, where simple objects become monumental through careful observation and arrangement. An artist's job is to look and see the world again, through the eyes of another.