De Munttoren 1941 - 1942

This anonymous photograph of De Munttoren captures the mood of a city square. The greyscale tones flatten the perspective, like when you're painting from a photo and have to choose between tones. What interests me is the way the tower is grounded by the presence of the tram and the people on the street. It’s not just a picture of a building, it’s about the life that unfolds around it. The blur of the figures suggests that this isn't just about architecture, but also about the passage of time. It reminds me of some of the early street photography by people like Eugène Atget who were not just documenting places, but also capturing the feeling of a moment. All photographs capture something, but the best ones capture a feeling. It's nice to think about this artist being lost to time, but their impression still remains.