Gezicht op de Hervormde Kerk te Nisse 1901

This anonymous photograph shows the Gezicht op de Hervormde Kerk te Nisse. There is something about seeing a monochromatic image like this that makes me think about process, like looking at an underpainting. The artist plays with soft gradations of tone, and subtle shifts in light to give us a peek into this place. It’s as if they wanted to share the quiet beauty of the site, rather than just document its appearance. The sepia tones evoke a sense of nostalgia. There’s a haziness that feels dreamlike, and I think this softens the architectural elements of the church and gives them more of a mysterious quality. It’s reminiscent of some of Gerhard Richter’s black and white paintings, but I also think of Corot and his muted palette, each with their own way of evoking atmosphere. There’s always this dance between seeing and feeling in art.