Zuidzijde van de Grote Kerk te Breda 1890 - 1920

This photograph, Zuidzijde van de Grote Kerk te Breda, was created by an anonymous photographer, documenting monument care. Here we see the church’s Gothic architecture rendered in tones of gray, a record of its physical presence. But it’s more than just an image. It's an encounter with stone, glass, and labor. The cathedral itself is an immense feat of craftsmanship, a testament to the skills of quarrymen, masons, and glaziers. The labor of extracting stone, shaping it, and raising it into place was an enormous collective undertaking, which defined the economy and the lives of those who built it. This photograph is also indexical to other histories of creative practices and aesthetics, alongside those of craft and fine arts. The photograph serves as a reminder of the social and cultural significance embedded in every object around us. And how they are tied to wider issues of labour, politics, and consumption. It challenges the traditional distinctions between fine art and craft.