Erf met pluimvee van een boerderij in Vaassen c. 1900 - 1930

Richard Tepe made this photograph, "Erf met pluimvee van een boerderij in Vaassen" with some kind of photographic process that renders everything in shades of gray. It’s like he’s saying, "Let's strip away the color and see what's left." The texture here is amazing. The rough thatch of the roof, the smooth feathers of the fowl, the grainy path - each has its own distinct feel. And the light! It's soft, diffused, like the whole scene is wrapped in a gentle fog. Look at the way the light catches the edges of the leaves on the trees. Tepe shares a similar sensibility to someone like Eugène Atget, who obsessively documented the streets of Paris. Both artists seem to be saying, "Look at this! This is what the world looks like, right now." It's a reminder that art doesn't have to be loud or flashy to be profound. It can be quiet, observant, and deeply human.