Schade aan het Coolsingelziekenhuis te Rotterdam c. 1940 - 1945

J. Nolte took this photograph of the ravaged Coolsingel Hospital in Rotterdam with what looks like a small camera. I imagine the artist standing there amidst the rubble, feeling shock and grief. What does one do when faced with such destruction? Pick up a camera, I guess. The photograph is a study in contrasts. The solid structure of the hospital is juxtaposed with the piles of debris. The windows, once portals of light and air, are now gaping holes, dark and empty. And yet, there's something resilient in the image, a sense of enduring strength that speaks to the human spirit's ability to persevere even in the face of devastation. It makes you wonder about the hospital, the people inside and outside, and what they were thinking. Photography is like painting, but it's a little less forgiving, like it's already made, and you just find it.