Noordzijde van de Sint-Lambertuskerk te Huisseling 1911

This photograph of the Sint-Lambertuskerk was taken in Huisseling by an anonymous photographer. The composition, with the building smack-bang in the center, speaks to the photographic process, the way of capturing the world as a kind of indexical record. The sepia tones have an antiquated feel, but also lend a softness to the image, blurring the details and focusing our attention on the play of light. I can almost feel the rough texture of the building's surface, worn smooth by the relentless march of time. The sky is muted, but it highlights the spire, which seems to pierce the heavens, anchoring the building in a spiritual realm. Think about Bernd and Hilla Becher and their deadpan photographs of industrial buildings - there is an echo of that objective style here, but also a sense of the history and quiet dignity of this place. Ultimately, the image reminds me that art is a continuous conversation, a dialogue across time, in which we find new ways of seeing and understanding the world around us.