Gezicht op een boerderij te Willige Langerak en een gezicht op de Lek bij Schoonhoven 1931 - 1935

Curator: This is an intriguing photograph entitled "Gezicht op een boerderij te Willige Langerak en een gezicht op de Lek bij Schoonhoven," which roughly translates to "View of a farm at Willige Langerak and a view of the Lek at Schoonhoven." Berti Hoppe captured these scenes sometime between 1931 and 1935. Editor: The albumen print laid on a book's page makes me think of a peaceful era, even if its two separate views present rural life and industrial presence near the river Lek with simplicity. Curator: Yes, there is something deceptively straightforward about them. If we consider photography as a mass-produced medium at the time, this album's creation suggests both an attempt to democratize art and capture a specific view. What about Hoppe's composition attracts you? Editor: The landscapes speak to a rural existence and industrial growth but are framed inside an album—a treasured object of middle-class taste. Curator: Exactly! It creates tension by using rivers and buildings to showcase human impact on the landscape through the materials and labor involved in construction and agriculture. It blends what’s generally seen as art with what some dismiss as snapshots. Editor: The high contrast within each small print—that's what really pulls my gaze—it gives these seemingly quiet images such palpable depth, emotion. Like a visual haiku. Curator: Agreed. The album layout, then, amplifies this dialogue. It places our observation within a defined context where it captures these seemingly modest locales using relatively recent methods. How does knowing its process affects your understanding? Editor: Seeing photography gives each place a sort of hallowed feeling. We realize what changes happened as time elapses after these rural or industrial existences were captured in gelatin-based photographs on book paper, adding depth to it. Curator: Ultimately, I am reminded of the everyday. Hoppe uses this reproducible technology, combining art, life and documentary elements to explore industry and idyllic landscapes during his time. Editor: Exactly; this image pair captures a slice of landscape, yet the emotions feel eternal.