Bezoek aan de Pieterskerk te Leiden 1930 - 1931

These photographic prints of the Pieterskerk in Leiden by Berti Hoppe feel like small windows into a different time. The tones are so muted, almost like a memory fading into sepia. I’m drawn to the geometry of the arches, repeated like a set of parentheses, and the way the light filters through the high windows. The photographs are glued into the album and the dark brown album pages create a contrast that frames each view, adding depth. The different views of the church each offer a slightly different perspective. It reminds me of the work of Bernd and Hilla Becher, who documented industrial structures with a similar detached precision. These photographers make you feel like you're discovering something new, even in the most familiar of places.