Gezicht op de Plompe Toren te Koudekerke 1890 - 1920

This photograph shows the Plompe Toren in Koudekerke, and was made by an anonymous photographer working with Monumentenzorg. The beige tones create a kind of hazy, dreamlike atmosphere. What I notice is the texture, or lack thereof. The surface is smooth, almost flattened by the photographic process, yet there's a sense of depth in the way the tower rises from the landscape. The tower itself, it’s a kind of ruin, standing proud but also worn, reminding me of a painting by Caspar David Friedrich, all about the sublime and melancholy of nature, but here, it’s architecture. Look closely at the top of the tower. The details are soft but evocative, each shadow hinting at stories and secrets, of time passing. In a way, photography is a kind of painting with light, isn't it? It captures a moment, but also hints at the passage of time. Just like painting, it’s about seeing and feeling, not just recording.