Gezicht op de Sint-Gertrudiskerk te Maarheeze 1911

This photograph of Sint-Gertrudiskerk in Maarheeze was shot by an anonymous photographer, maybe with a large format camera, maybe a long time ago. I can feel the photographer trying to work out what the picture wants to be, squinting to see the image emerge, the sky like a cloudy veil. I like how the trees form vertical rhythms, echoing the church’s steeple, like a child’s drawing or a folk song, simple, plaintive. There is a material presence: you can almost feel the damp air and the rough texture of the church walls. Look how the lines of the branches reach out like fingers, trying to grasp something just out of reach. Even though the photographer is unknown to us, I imagine they were drawn to this scene, like all artists are drawn to one another's images, building on a conversation that has gone on for centuries. The mystery invites multiple readings. It’s never just one thing, is it?