Ondergelopen Seine-oevers, verwoeste bruggen en een hengelaar tijdens overstroming van Parijs 1910 - 1911

This is a photograph by G. Dangereux, of the flooded banks of the Seine. It captures a moment in time, an environmental disaster, and a lone figure, all rendered in shades of gray. The sepia tones are subdued, almost melancholic. It makes me think about how choices in colour can change our reading of an image. If this was in colour, say a vibrant blue for the water, would we read the image differently? I think so. The surface of the water is like quicksilver, reflecting the sky, the buildings, and the ruined bridge. It’s kind of hard to tell what exactly is going on, but the overall impression is of a moment of reflection, on what has been lost and the persistence of life in the face of disaster. Like a Gerhard Richter, the blurring in the image is like a half remembered scene from a dream.