Gevelornamenten van Oude Vest 72 te Leiden 1890 - 1920

This black and white photograph captures architectural ornaments from Oude Vest 72 in Leiden. The anonymous photographer, presumably from Monumentenzorg, approaches the subject with a directness that highlights the physicality and the process of how these decorative faces came to be. Look at the texture, the way the light catches the rough edges and carved details. The surface isn't smoothed over; you can almost feel the grit of the stone. The lion-like faces, sitting next to the rectangular blocks with the human-like faces, they all seem to be shouting. There’s a real sense of the hand, or the tool, that shaped them. It reminds me of some of the raw energy you find in folk art. The direct, no-frills approach calls to mind the work of Bernd and Hilla Becher, who also documented architectural forms with such a rigorous eye. Ultimately, it's a reminder that art and architecture are ongoing dialogues, always referencing and reshaping what came before. What do these ornaments mean? Are they smiling or grimacing? Perhaps it's both.