Saint Lawrence Church on a Blue Monday

This photo of the Saint Lawrence Church in Rotterdam is part of the project "The Blue Mondays of January", but can also stand on its own.

In January 2023, I set the alarm clock very early every Monday to take photos of Rotterdam in the blue hour before sunrise. This photo dates from the first of those blue Mondays, 2 January.

The Grote of Sint-Laurenskerk, whose construction began in 1449, is the only medieval building in Rotterdam's city centre. And also one of the few pre-war buildings.

During the bombardment on 14 May 1940, the church was badly damaged. Consideration was given to demolishing the building altogether but eventually it was decided to undertake a careful restoration, which was completed in 1968.

The church is beautifully illuminated, even at this early hour. At the top right of the picture, a few rays from a light tower provide special effects.

On the left, we see the bronze statue of Desiderius Erasmus, whose birthplace stood only a few metres from the church. Also on this drizzly winter morning, he is leafing through his book on the lawn in front of the church.

The whole scene is reflected in the wet concrete of the city podium in the foreground, so the aforementioned drizzle provides some extra atmosphere in the picture.