Twee koeien in een wei bij een meer c. 1900 - 1930

This is Richard Tepe's photograph, "Two Cows in a Meadow by a Lake", found at the Rijksmuseum. At first glance, the monochromatic sepia tones imbue the scene with a quiet, pastoral mood. The composition is carefully structured. The foreground is dominated by a still body of water, its surface reflecting the muted sky, while the middle ground features a grassy field where two cows stand side-by-side. These elements of nature create a sense of depth, drawing the eye towards the horizon where a line of trees and distant buildings rest. The photograph's formal qualities invite us to consider its relationship to the picturesque aesthetic prevalent during Tepe's time. The choice to capture the cows from a distance, emphasizing their form and placement within the landscape, speaks to a desire to understand their structural role within the wider ecosystem. We are left to consider how the photograph's structure and the symbolic weight of the objects contribute to its overall meaning. Is it a celebration of the Dutch landscape, or a reflection on humanity's place within nature?