Zuidgevel van het stadhuis van Kampen 1904

This is a photograph of the south facade of Kampen town hall, made by an anonymous photographer. I’m wondering what it was like for the photographer to make this image. It looks like they took the image from high above the building on a slightly misty day. Did they make this image from the roof of the building? I bet they were thinking about light and shadow as they made the exposure. You can almost feel the coolness of the stone and the warmth of the sun on the roof tiles. I see the twist of the chimney reflected in the orderly tiles of the roofs and clock tower in the background. The lines communicate a sense of perspective and depth, drawing you into the urban landscape. You can imagine the hustle and bustle of the Dutch town. Anonymous images like this remind us that artists are always talking to one another, across different times and places.