Doksaal van steen in de Sint-Pieterskerk in Leuven, België before 1887

This photograph captures the stone choir screen in St. Peter's Church in Leuven, Belgium, made anonymously in the late Gothic style. The image focuses on the screen's elaborate carving, which is its most striking feature. Stone is a material of weight and permanence, but here it's treated with astounding delicacy. The unknown makers worked the stone in ways more typical of wood or even metal, creating tracery and figuration that almost seem to defy the material's inherent qualities. This wasn't just a feat of technical virtuosity. It was also a labor-intensive process that demanded teamwork and a high degree of specialization. We don't know the sculptors' names, or whether they saw themselves as artists or artisans, but their contribution was essential. Consider this next time you encounter a work of stone: it represents the convergence of vision, skill, and sheer hard work.