Onbekende man met een hond bij een waterval, vermoedelijk in Transvaal, Zuid-Afrika 1967 - 1971

This photograph of an unknown man with a dog by a waterfall, probably taken in Transvaal, South Africa, was made by Willem Jacob van den Berg. I can imagine Willem, setting up his shot, coaxing the man and his dog to sit just so on that rock. Look at how the dog seems to be smiling. What do you think it might be thinking? Is it wondering if it can run off and play in the water? Look at the way the light falls on the rocks, creating a beautiful pattern of highlights and shadows. Did Willem take this photo because of the interplay between light and shadow, or the narrative of the man and his dog on an adventure? This image makes me think of other pictures, other paintings, other times. Every artist is in conversation with what came before, and this feels like a conversation about nature, companionship, and the simple act of observation.