Ruïne van Kasteel de Haar te Haarzuilens before 1892

This photograph, "Ruïne van Kasteel de Haar te Haarzuilens", was created anonymously by the Dutch organisation, Monumentenzorg. The image captures the crumbling remains of what was once a stately castle in the Netherlands. Monumentenzorg—or 'monuments care'—was an early heritage organisation which captured such buildings on film. The image hints at deeper questions around the meaning of 'heritage'. On the one hand, the capture of the castle's ruin speaks to a progressive impulse towards preservation. But on the other, the fact that it focuses on the ruin of the castle evokes an aesthetic of decay, and potentially an implicit view of the past as lost or destroyed. To better understand this image, we can research the history of Monumentenzorg as an organisation, or learn about the social values that underpinned heritage movements in the Netherlands. Art history can reveal social history, if we know where to look.