Gezicht op de Koninklijke Vlaamse Schouwburg in Brussel, België 1884 - 1914

Editor: This gelatin silver print, dating from 1884-1914, captures the Royal Flemish Theater in Brussels, and is attributed to Gustave Hermans. The building's facade strikes me as grand but also a bit austere. What architectural elements do you find most compelling from a formalist point of view? Curator: Note the balance achieved through the symmetry of the facade, offset by the asymmetry introduced on the right-hand side with its distinct balcony structure. How do you interpret the interplay between the ornate details and the overall rigid structure? Editor: I guess that contrast makes it visually interesting, not letting it fall into pure architectural documentation, it makes my eyes search, noticing all the finer sculptural elements along the way. I’d not thought about how my eyes track different elements like that. Curator: Exactly. Now consider the light. The subdued tonality emphasizes the texture of the stonework. And the depth of field is rather limited, directing the viewer to certain compositional elements, like the human figures near the entrance. What is achieved by positioning so many subjects at the vanishing point? Editor: They serve as scale, perhaps? I see the architectural facade more as an almost overpowering abstract shape instead of getting too caught up in its societal implications. It emphasizes shape, line and form. That helps. Curator: Precisely. Hermans uses photography to flatten and reframe a social institution into a formal study of shapes and light. Did this viewing change your interpretation? Editor: Absolutely. I’m more attuned to the choices and what they communicate formally, instead of reading into content. Thanks.