Candida Höfer is one of the most distinctive and influential late 20th century photographers.

As a student of Bernd and Hilla Becher, Höfer established her signature style in the late 1970's/early 1980's in Germany with her technically precise large-scale images of public spaces void of any visitors.

Along with her contemporaries, including Thomas Struth, she helped evolve a new genre of urban and institutional portraiture; creating images that were void of sentimentality or nationalism.

This diptych is a classic example of Höfer's work. The architectural and decorative details of this grand library, specifically the arches on each floor, create a pattern that approaches abstraction. Her photographs investigate the forms and structures of spaces, as well as their details. This approach leads her to very personal portraits of spaces.