Gezicht op de Geertruidskerk te Geertruidenberg 1895

This albumen print, whose maker is anonymous, shows the Geertruidskerk in Geertruidenberg. As an image produced by Monumentenzorg, the Netherlands’ national heritage agency, it brings together the cultural roles of photography and the preservation of historical sites. The photograph's meaning is created through its visual codes and historical associations. The Geertruidskerk is a late Gothic church in the Dutch province of North Brabant. Construction began in the late 14th century. The church’s history is deeply intertwined with the religious and political conflicts that shaped the Netherlands. It reflects the complex social structures of its time and also the institutional history of Dutch heritage preservation. For a better understanding of this artwork and its cultural context, research into the archives of Monumentenzorg, along with historical accounts of Geertruidenberg and the Geertruidskerk would be invaluable. Art is contingent on its social and institutional context.