Basement van een wandkolom in de Abdijkerk te Rolduc 1890

Editor: So, this photograph is of the base of a wall column in the Rolduc Abbey Church, taken around 1890 by an anonymous photographer. It shows some kind of stone or plaster column base with these beautifully carved animal figures... I’m really struck by how the craftsmanship elevates this utilitarian element. What draws your eye when you look at this image? Curator: Immediately, I think of the labor involved. An abbey church is an immense project. Beyond the vision of the architect or patron, there are countless anonymous skilled laborers responsible for sourcing, shaping, and placing these materials. Editor: Right, like, we’re not necessarily focusing on a celebrated artist here. Curator: Exactly. And consider the social implications: Who controlled the quarries? Who was paid, and how much? What was the ecological impact of extracting that much stone? The animals carved here – what kind are they? How does that carving contrast to, say, metalwork from the same period in its approach to materiality? These choices about ornamentation aren’t accidental; they reflect a complex relationship with available resources, techniques, and the intended audience, that is to say, how material and labour served the purpose of an imposing monument. Editor: So, instead of focusing solely on the artistic vision, we’re considering the entire network of production. Curator: Precisely. This image becomes less about aesthetic appreciation and more about understanding the socioeconomic forces at play in the late 19th century when this photograph was taken, in order to document something important in the making of architecture, an element taken for granted and nearly lost, like those anonymous hands who carved them and constructed the column base itself. Editor: That's given me a new appreciation for looking at architecture as a whole material process! Curator: It really shows the interconnectedness between artistic choices and socioeconomic realities of art production.