Amoy Houses 1869

John Thomson captured these Amoy houses with a camera in the 19th century, showing a dense urban landscape under a vast sky. Here, the rooftops and buildings of Amoy become a stage for everyday life, revealing the architectural and spatial patterns of a community. Notice the rooftops; their curved forms echo each other and those of the hills beyond, creating a visual rhythm that binds the human-made environment to the natural world. These shapes resonate with the protective curves of a mother’s embrace, present across millennia in countless artistic depictions of motherhood. The roofs offer shelter, a place for gatherings, or where textiles can dry under the sun. This mundane activity transforms the rooftops into a canvas of collective existence. Like the cyclical return of motifs in Renaissance painting, where gestures and symbols are constantly reinterpreted, the rooftops reflect a recurring theme of protection and nurturing. This image, therefore, is not merely a snapshot but a mirror, reflecting both the specific culture of Amoy and the universal experiences shared throughout history.