Interieur van de Hervormde Kerk te Middelharnis na de brand 1904

This photograph captures the interior of the Reformed Church in Middelharnis after a fire, and the image feels like a memory fading into sepia tones. I’m thinking about the photographer, standing amidst the wreckage, trying to frame this moment of devastation. What were they hoping to capture? The light is so present, streaming in through the ravaged walls, that each beam is a brushstroke, illuminating the debris. It's like a ghostly skeleton of a building, exposing its bones. I wonder about the contrast between the solid structure and the fleeting nature of fire, how it consumes and transforms. The marks of the fire are like gestures— violent, chaotic, yet leaving behind a kind of stark beauty. It’s a scene of ruin, but also one of resilience, reminding me of the fragility and strength inherent in both art and life. You can almost smell the charred wood and feel the weight of history collapsing in on itself.