Ruïnes van de Laurenskerk te Rotterdam c. 1940 - 1945

This photograph by J. Nolte captures the ruins of the Laurenskerk in Rotterdam. Look at the greyscale, almost ashy palette. It makes me wonder, what’s the difference between a photo and a painting? Both can capture the feeling of witnessing something at a particular moment in time. I imagine Nolte thinking about light and shadow, just like a painter. With photography, it’s the light that etches the image onto the negative; with painting, it’s the pigment dragged across a surface. I like how the crispness of the architecture contrasts with the rubble; such a stark depiction of devastation, but it’s beautiful. The image is a reminder that art can be found in unexpected places, even in the ruins of war. I find beauty in the way artists find ways to make sense of the world around them, whether through painting or photography. And through their work, they help us see the world in new ways too.