Detail van een raampartij aan het Binnenhof tijdens de restauratie 1899

This photograph of a window at the Binnenhof in the Hague was taken in April 1914 by an anonymous photographer working for Monumentenzorg, the Dutch heritage agency. The image is a record of the restoration of this important government building. But it also unintentionally reveals the way that institutional structures shape our understanding of art and architecture. We see a close-up of the aging brickwork, partly obscured by a large wooden window frame with many panes of glass. Reflected in those panes, we see the outside world mirrored back. In the early 20th century, the Netherlands was dealing with questions of national identity and preservation, and institutions like Monumentenzorg played a key role in shaping the visual landscape. It’s a reminder that photographs are never neutral, and the role of the historian is to unpack the layers of meaning embedded within. To gain a deeper understanding of this image, one might research the history of Monumentenzorg or study the architectural history of the Binnenhof itself.