De Munttoren 1941 - 1942

This small photograph shows a street scene with the Munttoren, and it’s made by an anonymous artist. Imagine the photographer, alone with their camera, trying to capture a moment. What catches my eye are the different tones of grey, like a charcoal drawing, really. The anonymous photographer is a bit like all of us painters when we start out. There’s so much to learn, so many examples to follow. What do you want to capture? A sense of place? A historical moment? The photograph is a way of thinking about how images are constructed, how perspective works, and how light shapes our perception of the world. There's a certain vulnerability and honesty in that anonymity, a willingness to experiment and explore without the pressure of expectation. This reminds me that art is a continuous conversation, an exchange of ideas across time.