Karl With en een onbekende man aan het werk in een tuin 1920 - 1936

This vintage photograph, called 'Karl With en een onbekende man aan het werk in een tuin' lives at the Rijksmuseum. It shows two fellas in vests, digging together with long handled shovels, perhaps in a garden. When I look at this, I think about how sometimes labor, even hard labor, can be strangely calming, meditative, and connecting. It's got a weird energy, right? Look how the workers are united by the lines of the shovels, they cross each other like a dance. They feel like a single unit. I wonder, were they friends? Were they hot, tired, or happy? There is a lot of depth and texture from the dark bushes in the background. The anonymous photographer captured the energy of working together and the subtle complexities of human connection. It reminds me of a Van Gogh painting, with a deep sense of empathy, but also, a humble appreciation for the common laborer.