Molen in buurtschap Het Klompje (of: De Klomp), Zeist, aan de Koppeldijk 1914

Lambertus Hendrik van Berk captured this image of a windmill in Zeist using photographic techniques. The composition is dominated by the vertical thrust of the windmill, offset by the horizontal spread of the surrounding buildings and landscape. The muted palette and the textural interplay of the rough windmill against the smoother, softer foliage invite a sense of pastoral calm. This is further emphasized by the structural contrast between the organic, almost haphazard arrangement of trees and buildings, versus the industrial, geometric precision of the windmill’s structure. The windmill, rendered in a manner that highlights its material presence, engages with structuralist ideas. It implies a deeper system of signs related to human intervention in nature and the production of meaning through built forms. Notice how van Berk uses subtle tonal variations to create depth and volume. The windmill serves not merely as a visual element but as a point of entry into a contemplation about the relationship between technology and environment.