Interieur van de Sala de Justicia in het Alhambra te Granada, Spanje 1906

C Maufsaise made this photograph of the Sala de Justicia in the Alhambra in Granada, Spain. It’s all arches and ornate detailing receding into the distance. I think about Maufsaise setting up their camera, probably a big, clunky thing, trying to capture the light just right in this ancient space. What were they thinking as they peered through the lens? Were they marveling at the craftsmanship, the echoes of history in those walls? The surface of the photograph feels almost velvety, with soft light and a muted palette. The arches, each one a frame within a frame, draw you in, like a visual poem unfolding line by line. The repetition reminds me of Sol Lewitt’s structures, but here, it's organic, shaped by human hands and centuries of stories. It’s a conversation across time, Maufsaise responding to the Alhambra, and we, in turn, respond to Maufsaise's vision. It reminds me that art is never created in a vacuum.