Man met hond voor een huis of boerderij c. 1900 - 1930

This evocative photograph was taken by Richard Tepe, sometime between 1864 and 1952. In it, a man stands with his dog in front of a house or farm. I imagine Tepe setting up his camera, composing the scene, and waiting for the right moment. What was he thinking as he watched the man and his dog? Did he see a story in their stillness, a quiet narrative unfolding in the Dutch countryside? The textures in the photograph are amazing – the rough thatch of the roof, the weathered bricks of the house, the tangled branches of the trees. And then there's the soft fur of the dog, a small, loyal companion at the man's side. The image has a melancholy mood, a sense of being caught between worlds, that draws me in. Tepe's work reminds me of other photographers who captured the quiet beauty of everyday life. They were all in conversation with one another, each adding their own voice to the ongoing dialogue of art. It’s a reminder that art is a process of discovery.