Oostzijde van de Hervormde Kerk te Heelsum 1890 - 1920

Here's a small photograph of the East side of the Reformed Church at Heelsum. We don't know who made it or when, but it’s been preserved by Monumentenzorg, which looks after historical buildings in the Netherlands. The whole image is washed in warm sepia tones, like an old memory. Imagine the photographer, setting up their equipment, maybe on a cloudy day to get that even light. They’re probably thinking about capturing the solidity and permanence of the church, its brick walls, steep roof, and the little spire reaching up. But what I see is the way the light softens everything, blurring the edges. Those windows become dark voids, and the details of the brickwork disappear. It makes you wonder about time, about how even the most solid things fade and change. It makes me think about the conversation that happens between light and shadow, and how much we rely on both.