Stroomversnelling in een kreek 1905 - 1910

Jacob Evert Wesenhagen made this photograph, Stroomversnelling in een kreek, sometime in his lifetime using some form of camera technology. The way the water is moving in this photograph really grabs me. The ripples, the current...you can almost feel the push and pull of the water right there on the surface of the image. And how Wesenhagen captured the light reflecting off the water – it’s not just a flat surface, it’s alive, with all these different tones and textures swirling together. It’s like he’s inviting you to dive right in. Look at the trees on the bank, the way they’re all tangled together, dark and mysterious. It’s a real contrast to the open space of the water, and it creates this feeling of depth, like there are secrets hidden just beyond the surface. I’m reminded of Caspar David Friedrich, who was also interested in capturing the sublimity of nature. Wesenhagen and Friedrich both invite us to contemplate our place in the world.