Oostzijde van de Sint-Martinuskerk te Woudrichem 1901

This photograph of the east side of St. Martin's Church in Woudrichem, was made by an unknown photographer with a camera and film, somewhere, sometime. The sepia tone is really beautiful here, but it also gives the image a sense of distance. You know, photography is painting with light and time, and that's what strikes me about this church, is how it seems to embody the passage of time. Look at the detail of the brickwork, the soft gradient of light across the church’s surface, and how it’s worn by weather, and time. The texture is so rich, so subtly complex. This photograph reminds me of some of the architectural studies by Bernd and Hilla Becher; the Bechers are interested in industrial forms, while this image is, of course, a religious building, but both approaches share a similar eye for detail, and a restrained palette. It's a conversation across time.