Restauratie van het zuidtransept in de Onze-Lieve-Vrouwebasiliek te Maastricht c. 1890 - 1915

This photograph, Restauratie van het zuidtransept in de Onze-Lieve-Vrouwebasiliek te Maastricht, shows the restoration of the South Transept in the Basilica, using light to subtly articulate the scene. It’s a simple palette, heavy on neutral tones, that feels appropriate to the subject. What really gets me going here is the surface; it’s got this great grainy texture, almost like a collage. See how the light catches the rough stone of the walls, making each brick feel like a separate, distinct thing? The photograph feels like a ruin in itself, capturing the textures and subtle shadows, giving you a real sense of the history embedded in these walls. It reminds me of the work of Bernd and Hilla Becher, that interest in industrial structures, but with a raw quality that makes it feel really unique. In the end, this photograph is all about looking and seeing. It challenges us to think about restoration as a process of layering, revealing, and, yes, even obscuring.