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

Here is a photograph of the restoration of the south transept in the Onze-Lieve-Vrouwebasiliek te Maastricht, made by an anonymous photographer from Monumentenzorg. The creamy sepia tones give it a hazy, dreamlike quality. It makes me think about what the photographer might have been thinking, trying to capture this moment of architectural transformation. The scaffolding becomes an intricate web, obscuring and revealing the structure beneath. I imagine the photographer carefully positioning the camera, composing the shot to capture the play of light and shadow within the basilica. There's a real sense of texture and depth, inviting us to contemplate the layers of history embedded in this sacred space. This image is a conversation between the past and the present, offering a glimpse into the ongoing process of preservation and renewal. What traces of history are preserved or lost as the new is built? Artists keep having a conversation with each other across time, inspiring each other’s creativity.