Gezicht op de gebouwen van Schule Schloss Salem vanaf de velden c. 1929

This monochrome photograph, of the buildings of Schule Schloss Salem from the fields, well, it’s been captured by a soul we don’t know when. The sky looks heavy, and the dark roofs of the buildings really contrast with the white walls. I’m picturing the artist setting up their camera, maybe in the late afternoon, trying to capture the light just so. There's a flat and quiet stillness about it. What were they thinking, looking out over those fields towards the school? Looking at this piece, I am reminded of Gerhard Richter's grey paintings. The surface is so flat, so intentionally neutral, that I start to wonder what the photograph is really about. It’s like a document, but of what? It’s as though the anonymous photographer is posing a question about history, memory, and the very act of looking.