Mannen aan het werk op een werf, vermoedelijk in Volendam c. 1900 - 1910

This photograph, taken by G. Hidderley, captures men working on what’s thought to be a shipyard in Volendam. What strikes me is the way it captures a moment in time, a process. The photograph has this monochrome palette, a limited range of tones that make the scene feel timeless, like a memory fading at the edges. Look closely, you can almost feel the rough texture of the boat's hull, the splintered wood of the scaffolding, the grit beneath the workers' feet. The way the sails blur in the distance feels gestural. It is a little like when you try to capture the feeling of movement in a painting! There's something about the composition that evokes the work of other artists, say, Gustave Caillebotte, who also celebrated the working classes in his paintings. There's a conversation here, about how we see and value labor, and about art's capacity to elevate the everyday. Ultimately, what makes this photograph so compelling is its ability to capture something real, and yet, leave so much open to interpretation.