Geschilderd raam in de Hervormde Kerk te Westmaas c. 1890 - 1920

This is a photograph of a painted window in the Reformed Church at Westmaas, made by an anonymous photographer. The tones are so muted, almost monochrome, which gives the stained glass an abstract quality. Look how the individual panes create a grid-like structure. This makes me think about how we look through things, how our vision is always mediated, filtered, and framed. The surface seems to absorb the light rather than reflect it. The details in the window are softened, almost dissolving into the overall texture. It is interesting how the act of photographing this stained-glass window flattens the image, almost like a painting. It reminds me of some of Gerhard Richter’s blurred photographs-turned-paintings. Both explore the limits of representation and the blurring of boundaries between different media. Both revel in the ambiguity that arises when forms begin to lose their sharp edges.