Reproductie van een prent van een koorhek in de abdij van Gembloers, getekend door de abt Antoine Papin before 1880

This drawing depicts the choir screen in Gembloux Abbey and, despite being of unknown authorship, invites reflection on architectural representation through graphic means. Notice how the composition is structured by a symmetrical arrangement of vertical lines of the columns and the sharp, horizontal lines of the choir screen. This formal choice creates a sense of balance but also rigidity, reflecting the strictures of religious architecture. The linear precision speaks to a detailed approach in which form follows function. Consider too the graphic contrasts achieved through hatching and cross-hatching techniques, which define the texture of the materials and articulate depth. The spatial relationships—the interplay between foreground and background—offer a window into how we perceive architectural space through two-dimensional representation. The overall effect underscores how the print medium can transform our understanding and experience of architectural space. By reducing a complex three-dimensional reality to a series of lines on a flat plane, the artist prompts us to consider the role of abstraction in conveying spatial and structural ideas.