Torens en een voetbrug van de Belvédère van Nijmegen c. 1870 - 1900

Wilhelm Ivens’s photograph presents the Belvédère of Nijmegen, emphasizing its towers and footbridge through a structured composition. The eye is led by the diagonal ascent of the landscape, grounding the architectural forms in a dynamic interplay of light and shadow. The towers, centrally positioned, act as vertical anchors, while the footbridge offers a contrasting horizontal line, creating a grid-like structure within the scene. Ivens seems less concerned with the picturesque and more focused on revealing an underlying geometric order. The sepia tone flattens the perspective, drawing attention to the photograph's surface and the two-dimensional arrangement of forms. This visual language subtly shifts our understanding of architectural photography from mere representation to an exploration of space and structure. Thus, it challenges our perception of depth, inviting a reevaluation of how we perceive architectural space through a photographic lens.