Toren van de Nieuwezijds Kapel te Amsterdam 1908

This is a photograph of the tower of the Nieuwezijds Kapel in Amsterdam by Albert Adriaansz. The date is unknown but it was probably made in the early 20th century. I imagine Adriaansz outdoors, carefully framing this shot of the church tower against the sky. The spire of the tower rises to a point, a gesture of aspiration. He must have waited for the perfect light to capture the subtle gradations of tone, from the dark texture of the roof tiles to the pale sky above. You can sense the stillness of the scene. There is something beautiful in this image, the meeting of solid architecture with the ephemeral qualities of light and atmosphere. It's a quiet picture, and yet it speaks volumes about the artist’s keen observation and ability to transform an everyday scene into something timeless. I see how later photographers like Bernd and Hilla Becher built on this tradition, transforming ordinary architecture into studies of form and typology.