Gezicht op de Hervormde Kerk te Schalkwijk 1911

This brown toned photograph shows the Hervormde Kerk te Schalkwijk and was made by an anonymous photographer. It is mounted on card. You know, the artist had a specific intention, and the image embodies both a personal journey and wider cultural narratives. I am thinking that it was a gloomy day, a wet day. I can see that the trees are all blown about. It is a simple, quiet, and unassuming piece. The artist’s gesture feels reverent and they capture something of the melancholy and quiet fortitude of a life of faith. Painters learn so much from photography: the framing of the church against the sky is very painterly and there is an almost meditative quality to the sepia tones. Artists are in an ongoing conversation and exchange of ideas across time, inspiring one another’s creativity. It embraces ambiguity and uncertainty, allowing for multiple interpretations.