Portaal van de Sint-Petrus'-Bandenkerk te Hilvarenbeek 1910

This photograph of the Sint-Petrus'-Bandenkerk portal in Hilvarenbeek, snapped in August 1910, is a fascinating study in contrasts, all captured in monochrome. I wonder what the photographer was thinking as they set up their shot. Was it about capturing the imposing nature of the architecture? Or were they more interested in how light and shadow played across the brickwork? The image is mostly concerned with the heavy materiality of the imposing structure. The texture of the bricks, the depth of the archways, all suggest a story of time and labour. I'm reminded of Bernd and Hilla Becher, with their documentary approach, and their focus on industrial structures. But there's also something deeply personal here, in the way the photographer has framed this view, inviting us to consider the past. Like all great art, it invites contemplation.