Gezicht op Ilsenburg 1925 - 1940

This vintage photograph captures a distant view of Ilsenburg. What I find immediately striking is how the monochrome palette simplifies the landscape, reducing it to tonal relationships. It’s all about light and shadow, the ebb and flow between them. The image has a tangible stillness. This is captured particularly by the soft focus on the distant hills, which become dreamlike. The tops of the trees and rooftops in the village feel crisp and full of interesting textures. This part of the image anchors our attention, in contrast to the blurred background. This contrast gives depth, but also makes me think about memory: what we choose to remember, what fades away. Like a painter, Kurre composes with light. Think about someone like Gerhard Richter, who also used photographs as a starting point, blurring the original image to evoke feelings and memories. Art is just all about seeing, you know?