Slobeend zittend op een nest met nauwelijks uitgekomen kuikens, Texel (vogels) 1900 - 1930

Editor: This gelatin silver print, “Slobeend zittend op een nest met nauwelijks uitgekomen kuikens, Texel (vogels)”, captured by Richard Tepe sometime between 1900 and 1930, evokes a very calm feeling to me. I am immediately drawn to this sense of protection over the circle of life. What do you see when you look at this piece? Curator: The enduring symbol of the mother duck is certainly powerful here, isn’t it? Considering Tepe’s interest in landscape, light, and animal studies, it reflects a visual motif, an archetypal image— the protective mother – resonant across centuries of artistic expression and human storytelling. How does the nest itself speak to you? Editor: It blends into its environment really well. It practically disappears. It seems so fragile! Curator: And yet, the presence of the nest acts as a focal point— almost like a mandala. Think of the circular form representing wholeness, the promise of continuation, life unfolding. Even in black and white, consider how texture conveys information, particularly with what Carl Jung might have referred to as the ‘shadow’— aspects of ourselves or of the collective experience we might not readily acknowledge. Do you think that applies here? Editor: That is insightful! Thinking about this through the Jungian concept of shadow allows the mind to reflect on the anxiety connected with keeping and nurturing life! It feels more complex than a photograph of nature. Curator: Exactly! The duck and its nest act as vessels containing universal feelings regarding vulnerability. This single shot of the animal is transformed from observation to profound contemplation through archetypal symbols and our emotional reactions to those symbols. Editor: I love this interpretation! The piece definitely offers more than initially meets the eye. It reflects back at me an intense psychological portrait hidden behind a simple natural setting. Curator: Yes, indeed. Thank you for sharing these valuable thoughts!