Archeologische opgravingen in Hongarije 1928

Jan Lanting made this photograph, entitled 'Archeological Excavations in Hungary,' sometime in the twentieth century. What you see is a scene where earth has been carefully dug and shifted to reveal another time. In the foreground, pools of water catch the light. A feeling of discovery is created. I wonder about Jan Lanting making this work. Were they thinking about the role of the archeologist as akin to that of the artist, both digging around in the dirt of life to expose hidden truths? I like to imagine the artist seeing their role as an archeologist, carefully unearthing and revealing layers of meaning, history, and human experience. The artist invites us to pause, reflect, and contemplate the passage of time and the echoes of human activity that linger beneath the surface. Like paint, what is buried can always resurface.