Reguliersgracht c. 1905 - 1907

Folkert Idzes de Jong made this photograph, titled Reguliersgracht, using a monochrome process. Look closely and you'll see how light interacts with the canal's surface, reflecting and distorting the surrounding buildings. It's a study in tonal variation. I love how the surface of the water seems to absorb the light, yet it also mirrors the world above. The reflections of the trees and buildings become almost abstract patterns, turning the canal into a living canvas. Your eye traces the lines of the canal, meeting at the bridge and then continuing into the distance. It's like the piece is inviting you to walk into the picture. The whole scene reminds me of some of the early German Expressionist landscapes with their brooding atmosphere and stylized rendering of nature, although perhaps slightly less intense. This photo sits in that same tradition which embraces the beauty of ambiguity and multiple interpretations.