Zijaanzicht van een terp bij Tószeg 1928

Jan Lanting made this photograph, Zijaanzicht van een terp bij Tószeg, using gelatin silver print to capture a seemingly ordinary view. But it's exactly this humbleness that I find so compelling. Look at the textures. The grainy, almost vibrating quality of the grass in the foreground, giving way to the rough, geological layering of the terp itself. It feels less like a document and more like an experience, a tactile encounter with the land. The limited tonal range becomes almost meditative, pushing you to notice subtle variations, each telling its own story of light and shadow. It's almost like a quiet conversation with the earth, a recognition that even the most mundane scenes hold layers of depth and complexity, a sentiment I reckon Piet Mondrian understood too. Ultimately, the photograph reminds us that seeing is an active process.