Zuidzijde van de Sint-Pancratiuskerk te Heerlen 1902

This photograph of the Zuidzijde van de Sint-Pancratiuskerk te Heerlen, was made by an anonymous photographer. The Church is rendered in tones of gray, a study of light and shadow. It's interesting, like a black and white painting - the absence of color focuses your eye on the form. Look at the surface of the stonework, the texture gives it depth. You can almost feel the roughness of the stone. And the light! Notice how it glances off one surface, and casts a shadow on another? In the end this is what gives the photo its power. It’s not just a record of the building; it’s an exploration of light, depth and perspective. It reminds me a little of the starkness you see in some of Bernd and Hilla Becher’s photographs of industrial architecture. There’s that same sense of detached observation, but here, there's a softer touch. A conversation across time and mediums, constantly evolving, reinventing.