Gezicht op de Heilige Lodewijkkerk te Leiden 1879 - 1915

Editor: We're looking at "View of the St. Lodewijkkerk in Leiden," a gelatin silver print from sometime between 1879 and 1915, by Jan Goedeljee. The tall church is very striking. What strikes you most about this piece? Curator: I am drawn to the geometrical interplay. Consider the severe verticals of the church tower, framed, disrupted even, by the organic lines of the bare winter trees. Notice, too, how the eye is led upward by these verticals, only to be met by the ornate detailing at the tower’s apex, a moment of baroque extravagance. How do you find that contrast influencing the image? Editor: I see what you mean. It almost feels like a battle between order and chaos, echoed even in the building itself. The rigid structure is juxtaposed with the decorative elements. The sharp geometry feels very modern, even though it depicts an older scene. Curator: Precisely. The surface itself speaks to us through the tonality – observe the limited palette, primarily various shades of sepia. What is the effect of the limited range of color, in your view? Editor: I guess it lends the photo a timeless quality. It removes a sense of immediacy. It looks almost like a sketch. Is that part of the visual language? Curator: Indeed. It is in this interplay between the subject matter and the medium, the dance between form and content, that we locate the work’s enduring resonance. Photography flattens the image even while conveying three-dimensional qualities. Note, also, that the artist subtly manipulated tonality in the sky, drawing us to the spire once again. It is almost dreamlike. Editor: It’s funny, I hadn’t even noticed that sky at first. That brings new context. I see much more clearly how these contrasts play out in this composition. Thanks! Curator: My pleasure. Studying visual composition brings an ability to more deeply study an image like this.