Opgezette roerdomp in decor met zand en riet c. 1900 - 1940

This is Richard Tepe’s photograph, “Stuffed Bittern in a Decor with Sand and Reed.” Tepe captured it at a time when the Netherlands was undergoing significant transformation due to industrialization and urbanization. Tepe, like other photographers of his era, was deeply engaged with documenting the changing Dutch landscape and natural history. His choice to photograph a stuffed bittern, rather than one in the wild, speaks volumes about the relationship between humans and nature during this period. Here, the taxidermied bird is carefully posed in an artificial environment, a diorama of sand and reeds. In this constructed setting, Tepe invites us to consider the complexities of preservation and the human desire to control and understand the natural world. There’s a tension here, between the desire to document and preserve nature, and the artificiality of the scene itself. It invites a reflection on our role in shaping and defining the natural world, and the emotional distance we create through these acts of preservation.