Dillenburg, Hessen, Germany

Bernd and Hilla Becher spent their careers surveying obsolete and underappreciated buildings. The subject of this image is a house uniquely designed, with an asymmetrical facade, for a corner site. It is an example of a traditional German building type, in use from the 14th century on, with stepped projections of the upper stories that allow for more space in narrow streets. The image’s muted lighting brings attention to the roof’s broad contour. The high-resolution invites viewers to examine alterations made to the house over time—mismatched windows, tar paper roofing, and gritty plasterwork on the facade that covers older underlying, half-timbered construction. The passage of time is also suggested in the surrounding structures; a concrete stairway to the right and a renovated building in the background show transformation in the area.

The Bechers taught photography at the Düsseldorf Academy of Art. They helped to train a generation of artists including Candida Höfer and Thomas Struth.