De rostachtige kust nabij Torquay c. 1901

This photogravure of the coast near Torquay was created by Frits Freerks Fontein Fz. sometime in the early 20th century. What I love about it is the stillness, the way the water meets the land, how the dark bushes frame the image. You can imagine the artist, right there, probably lugging a heavy camera and tripod, looking for the perfect angle. I see Fontein grappling with light and form, trying to distill this landscape into something essential. The textures are subtle, almost velvety, inviting you to run your fingers over the image. It reminds me of those tonalist paintings, where everything seems to fade into a dream. Photography is a constant conversation with painting, a kind of call and response across time. Each informs the other, pushing the boundaries of seeing. Artists like Fontein are part of this ongoing exchange, experimenting, and inspiring each other to look at the world in new ways. There’s something beautiful and vulnerable in that act of reaching out across time.