Koorhek in de Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk in Brugge, België before 1887

This is a photographic print of the Koorhek in the Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk in Brugge, Belgium, by an anonymous artist. The eye is immediately drawn to the detailed gothic tracery, which creates a complex interplay of vertical and horizontal lines. This linear structure is not merely decorative; it articulates space, dividing the choir screen into distinct yet connected compartments. The black and white medium underscores the stark contrast between light and shadow, enhancing the architectural details and lending a sense of depth to the two-dimensional image. The composition reflects a larger cultural fascination with order and division, yet also suggests a semiotic system of signs and cultural codes that would have been easily legible to contemporary viewers. The rigid geometry destabilizes established meanings through its complexity. The artwork challenges fixed meanings, and engages with new ways of thinking about space and representation. Consider how the strict geometry and stark tonal contrasts function not just aesthetically but also as part of a larger cultural discourse on order, representation, and the sublime.