Gezicht op de ingang van Hotel Merghelynck in Ieper, België before 1894

Hector Heylbroeck's photograph captures the Hotel Merghelynck in Ieper, presenting a study in architectural symmetry and depth. The photograph is dominated by the building's facade, its surface articulated by horizontal lines of stone that give a tactile sense of texture. This careful arrangement of form invites a study in perspective. The fenestration and the balcony interrupt the stone work, drawing the eye upwards. A striking arched entrance is framed by open doors that reveal a series of receding spaces, each mirroring the initial archway, to create an infinite corridor. This technique plays with the viewer’s perception, underscoring a dialogue between surface and depth, presence and absence. The photograph doesn't just present the hotel; it presents an intellectual puzzle about space and representation, challenging fixed meanings of architectural photography. It invites a re-interpretation each time it is viewed.