Grafmonument van Egbert Bartolomeusz Kortenaer in de Grote of Sint-Laurenskerk te Rotterdam 1911

This is a photograph of the grafmonument van Egbert Bartolomeusz Kortenaer in the Grote or Sint-Laurenskerk te Rotterdam, taken at some point by an anonymous figure. It appears to be shot in black and white, with a sepia tone. I'm thinking about the carver, chipping away at the stone, trying to make marble look like fabric rippling in the wind. You know, sometimes I think of sculptors as frustrated painters, desperate to make real the visions in their heads. The image is layered with flags and crests, columns and stone, plus a fence put up to keep people back. I wonder if the artist felt restricted by the needs of the monument? It’s a strange question to ask, but do you think they wanted to do something more free? Of course, all artists work within constraints of some kind and I guess it's about pushing those boundaries, isn't it? It makes me think about other contemporary monument makers. We’re all in conversation, riffing off each other. I’m sure this image will continue to inspire people in different ways across time.