Zuidtransept van de Sint-Bavokerk te Aardenburg 1909

This silver gelatin print of the Sint-Bavokerk in Aardenburg, made by an anonymous photographer, uses shades of grey to capture the light as it hits the brick of this imposing cathedral. I wonder if they stood in that spot for hours, watching the way the sun moved across the facade, trying to get the angle just right? What choices did they make to capture the light? Did they use any filters? I think about the way they’re trying to capture something, and it’s similar to painting. How a painter looks at a subject – a still life, a landscape, a person – and they're both searching for the right way to express what they see. They choose the right tools to show what they see, and also, how they feel. Thinking about painting and photography together makes me consider the connections between artists across time. We’re all trying to make sense of the world.