Detail van Oude Vest 72 te Leiden 1890 - 1920

This photograph of a detail in Leiden, from the Monumentenzorg archive, is a study in monochromatic browns and creams. The play of light and shadow across the stone surface is captured in a range of subtle tones. I find myself drawn to the texture, you can almost feel the rough graininess of the stone under your fingertips. The way the light catches the edges of the spiral, highlighting the form, really makes me think about the act of carving, of taking away to reveal the shape within. It's a process of slow, deliberate transformation. I love this kind of focused repetition, that spiral groove reminds me of the way Agnes Martin would draw faint lines, a meditative and durational process. This image, with its anonymous maker and simple focus, reminds me that art is often about noticing the beauty in the everyday, in the overlooked details that shape our world. Like a still life by Morandi, the mundane is made monumental. And maybe that's the most profound transformation of all.