Tak van een Canadese krentenboom met vruchten c. 1900 - 1930

Richard Tepe made this photograph of a branch of a Canadian serviceberry, a plant that is also called a 'krentenboom' in Dutch. The photograph is like a sketch, a study of light and form, where the focus isn't on a perfect botanical record but on capturing the essence of the plant. There is a lovely sense of depth, a dance between light and shadow that is achieved through the sepia tone. Look how the leaves are caught in different states of light, some shining, others in deep shadow. There are bite marks and blemishes that give this image a feeling of real life. I keep thinking of Karl Blossfeldt's close-up photographs of plants, which also aimed to reveal the hidden beauty and structural complexity of the natural world. Ultimately, this image invites us to slow down, to really see, and to appreciate the delicate beauty of the natural world. It's about seeing beyond the obvious, finding beauty in the everyday, and understanding that art is, in its own way, an echo of nature.