Oostzijde van het Kasteel van Mheer 1890 - 1920

This old photo, ‘Oostzijde van het Kasteel van Mheer’, which translates to East side of Mheer Castle, is a bit of a mystery, since it was made by an anonymous artist and there’s no date for it. But look at how the sepia tones give it a kind of ghostly feel. It’s a straight-on shot of a castle, emphasizing the material qualities: the rough texture of the stone, the way the light hits the walls. There’s an arched gateway in the center, and what I love is how the darkness inside kind of swallows you up. It's like a void. The edges of the photo are soft, almost out of focus, which makes it feel like you're peering into a memory. It reminds me of some of Eugène Atget’s old Parisian street photos, where the city feels both present and like it's slipping away. Art’s funny like that, always referencing, always changing, but always leaving room for us to fill in the blanks.