London Bridge 1904

This print of London Bridge, by Alvin Langdon Coburn, captures a moment, or many moments, in silvery gelatin. What strikes me is how he's handled the light. It feels like he's painted with light, blurring edges, softening details. Look how the bridge emerges from the water, solid yet ephemeral. It makes me think about the nature of photography itself, a process of capturing light and shadow, fixing it on paper. The bridge is a stage for tiny figures moving across its surface, and the city behind it dissolves into a misty backdrop. The light reflecting off the water is a dance of textures, a kind of abstract expressionism avant la lettre. I'm reminded of Whistler and his atmospheric nocturnes, or even Monet's impressionistic renderings of the Thames. Art is always in conversation, isn't it? Each piece echoing and responding to what came before.