Gedeelte van de kasteelruïne te Valkenburg 1890 - 1920

This photograph of Valkenburg castle ruins, made with an analogue camera, captures more than just stones and arches; it's a study in the erosive power of time itself. Look at how the light interacts with the rough textures of the weathered stone, almost like the camera is sculpting the scene with light. I'm struck by the lower left corner, where the arches seem to melt into the ground. It's hard to tell where the architecture ends and the earth begins, as if nature is slowly reclaiming what was once claimed from it. The monochrome palette forces us to focus on tonal variation, from the sun-drenched facades to the shadowed interiors of the archways. It reminds me of Piranesi’s etchings; both artists use light and shadow to amplify the grandeur and decay of ancient structures. Photography, like any art form, allows the artist to have a conversation with time, with history, with the very idea of permanence. It also shows us that everything, eventually, turns to dust.