Fries van het Parthenon before 1910

This is "Fries van het Parthenon," a photograph by Frédéric Boissonnas. Look at the way the light falls on these ancient stones, bleaching them out in some areas and leaving others in shadow. It’s a study in contrasts, light and dark, presence and absence. The image is so textured, you can almost feel the roughhewn surface of the marble. Boissonnas doesn't smooth things over; instead, he emphasizes the cracks, the imperfections, the marks of time. There's a particular spot in the top right corner where the stone juts out, catching the light. It reminds me of a stubborn tooth, a defiant reminder of what once was. And that's what art is, right? A conversation across time, a way of seeing and feeling that transcends the boundaries of our own experience. Like, think about the way Atget captured Paris – Boissonnas does something similar here, freezing a moment in time while also acknowledging its impermanence. It's a beautiful, melancholic dance.