Brug over een rivier c. 1900 - 1930

Richard Tepe made this photo, "Bridge over a River," sometime between 1864 and 1952. It's all soft grays and whites, a real study in light and shadow as a way of marking a scene. The photograph is about texture. Look at how the bridge’s metalwork is reflected in the water below, it's mesmerizing, almost like an abstract painting. There’s a balance here, a sort of visual rhythm that pulls you in. The way the sun is captured, almost blinding. It’s like Tepe wanted to show not just the bridge, but the experience of seeing it. It reminds me a bit of some of Alfred Stieglitz’s early photography, that same interest in capturing a moment and mood. It makes you think about how much a photograph, like any artwork, can be about feeling and perception, not just about representation.