Boerderij naast een hoge boom c. 1905 - 1907

Folkert Idzes de Jong made this photograph, titled 'Farm next to a tall tree'. There's something about the way the tree dwarfs the house that gets to me. You can almost feel the weight of the leaves and branches pressing down. The soft blacks, greys, and whites give the photograph a timeless feel. I imagine De Jong standing here, positioning his camera, thinking about light and shadow, trying to capture this moment. The tree, a silent witness, the house, a place of refuge. He wants to capture the scene, but also the feelings it evoked in him. Maybe he was interested in the human relationship to nature. The way we build our homes and try to find our place in the world. The farmhouse feels organic, like it grew there, side by side with the tall tree. The artist is long gone, but the conversation continues. We keep looking, keep thinking, keep trying to capture the world around us in new ways.