Schoorsteen van Steenschuur 7 of Maison Wijtenburg te Leiden 1904

This sepia photograph shows a chimney in the Steenschuur 7 or Maison Wijtenburg in Leiden. I love the way it captures an intimate space—what would it have been like to inhabit this room? I can imagine the anonymous photographer, probably from Monumentenzorg, setting up their camera, carefully framing the shot to capture the details of the chimney, the ornate carvings, and the patterned wallpaper. What were they thinking as they framed this shot? Did they consider the play of light and shadow, the textures of the materials, the historical significance of the architecture? There’s a trace of time here, a layering of moments. This photograph is a testament to the ongoing exchange of ideas across time, inspiring a conversation between the photographer, the architect who designed the room, and us, the viewers, today. Each artist is in dialogue with those who came before, pushing the boundaries of their medium and embracing ambiguity and uncertainty.