Interieur van de Sint-Ursulakerk te Keulen c. 1860 - 1870

Curator: Anselm Schmitz gives us a stereoscopic gelatin silver print from around 1860 to 1870 titled "Interior of St. Ursula's Church in Cologne." Editor: The architectural perspective is striking. It draws your eye right down the nave, accentuating the height and grandeur, a bit like peering into eternity itself. The somber sepia tones give the whole thing a sense of gravity and history. Curator: Indeed, Schmitz employs a composition that leverages the symmetry inherent in the architecture. Those towering arches are heavy with the symbolism of divine aspiration. The arches function almost as psychological conduits, urging the viewer to reach upwards, towards enlightenment. Editor: The materiality contributes, as well. The photographic process itself becomes part of the narrative. The silver halides capturing and fixing the image mirroring the permanence and supposed immutability of the church. Though, paradoxically, the fading and grain of the photograph also speak to transience. Curator: Consider St. Ursula herself, and the legend of the eleven thousand virgins martyred here. Schmitz's photo operates not just as documentation, but also as a form of remembrance, carrying the weight of a profoundly gendered sacred history. Editor: It’s interesting how the composition highlights both the massiveness and detail within. The soaring gothic lines, yes, but then your eyes adjusts and takes in ornate details like the altarpiece and statues along the walls. These are very subtle compositional decisions, offering a detailed micro within a vast macro, almost. Curator: Photography in the mid-19th century offered a seemingly objective view. Schmitz's carefully staged image perpetuates the spiritual power vested in sacred spaces while revealing emerging photographic practice. Editor: I find it incredibly striking how Schmitz used relatively new technology to preserve the look and weight of the old traditions and architecture. Curator: Seeing with this artwork how the human spirit attempts to materialize faith continues to offer profound insight. Editor: I find the formal tensions here keep the image vital. Thank you for elucidating it's layered history.