Dimensions: height 170 mm, width 231 mm
Copyright: Rijks Museum: Open Domain
This photograph of the Noordzijde van de Sint-Martinuskerk te Woudrichem was made by an anonymous artist. It has a warm, sepia tone overall and feels very intentional, very composed, and very still. I’m drawn to the blurry edges of the shapes in the photograph; the trees and the church both lose focus as they extend up the frame. The surface quality of the photograph is relatively matte, without a lot of reflection or gloss, which helps emphasize the subtleties within the monochromatic palette. Take a look at the way that the light dapples the side of the church. These tiny variations of tone are what give the photograph such an atmospheric, dreamlike quality. Photographs like this make me think of the work of Eugène Atget, who dedicated his life to documenting the architecture of Paris. Like Atget, this artist is interested in using photography to make a record of a particular time and place. Both artists remind us that even documentary art can be deeply subjective and expressive.
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