Grafmonument in de Grote of Sint-Catharijnekerk te Brielle 1908

This photograph shows the Grafmonument in de Grote of Sint-Catharijnekerk te Brielle, and was produced by an anonymous photographer from Monumentenzorg. The sepia tone is so lovely, it immediately makes you think about memory, or how things fade over time. I am drawn to the way the light catches the rough texture of the stone, especially where it meets the wall. The unevenness of the surface tells a story of time, and also of human touch. There is something very gentle about the way the image is composed, as if the photographer was being very quiet, and respectful, as they made this exposure. I’m reminded of Agnes Martin’s soft, almost empty paintings, which manage to contain everything within an apparently limited palette. This is not to say that one piece refers directly to the other. Art is not about direct lineage, but it is an ongoing conversation. We look and we interpret, and in this act, something new can emerge.