Gezicht op de Sint-Dionysiuskerk te Schinnen before 1916

This gelatin silver print shows us the Sint-Dionysiuskerk in Schinnen. The sepia tone gives it a dreamy, almost ghostly quality. The focus is so sharp, every detail of the stone and slate jumps out. The texture is amazing. You can almost feel the rough surface of the church walls. Look closely at how the light catches the edges of the building. See how the photographer, Monumentenzorg, used light and shadow to create depth, even though it's a flat, two-dimensional image. The way the church dominates the landscape reminds me a little of those early modernist works. But unlike some of those paintings, this image isn't trying to make a statement. It's just a straightforward look at a place. And maybe that's the beauty of it. It invites us to slow down and really see. To appreciate the quiet dignity of this old church, standing there for who knows how long. In a way, that is the conversation, between presence and absence, solid and ghost. It is for us to decide what we think.