Gezicht op de Ridderzaal tijdens de restauratie 1902

This photograph, taken by an anonymous photographer from Monumentenzorg, captures the Ridderzaal during its restoration. The sepia tones give it a timeless quality, like a memory half-faded, half-vivid. What strikes me is the contrast between the solid, aged brickwork and the skeletal scaffolding that claws its way up the building. The texture of the brick, pitted and worn, speaks of history, while the sharp lines of the scaffolding are all about process, about change and becoming. I get a real sense of the labor involved, the sheer effort of holding up something so old and massive. Look at that one figure on a bicycle! It's a reminder that life goes on, even amidst all this construction. It’s like the photographer is saying, "Here's this grand old building, caught in a moment of vulnerability, but it's also just another day." It reminds me of Bernd and Hilla Becher’s photographs of industrial structures, but with a human touch. It’s a reminder that art isn’t always about answers; sometimes, it’s about asking the right questions.