Amsterdam. Houttuinen 1875 - 1930

This image of Amsterdam’s Houttuinen neighbourhood is from an unknown time and made by an anonymous artist, but there is a real sense of place in the gradations of light, from the bright street to the dark interior. Look at how the subdued palette of browns and greys creates a certain mood, almost like a memory fading at the edges. The steps leading up to the buildings have a kind of awkward charm, don't they? There's a lot of detail packed into this small image. The artist doesn't hide anything. Think about how the textures of the brick, wood, and glass all come together. I love the way the artist plays with shadow to create depth and volume in the architectural forms, the way the windows reflect the light, creating another layer of depth within the image. It feels like a precursor to Atget or the Bechers, artists who used the objectivity of the camera to find the uncanny in the everyday. Art is an ongoing conversation, right? And here, we’re invited to join in, to wander and wonder.