Hoog water, sneeuw en ijs op het landgoed 'de Poll' in te Voorst 1900 - 1930

Richard Tepe made this photograph of ‘High water, snow and ice on the estate “de Poll” in te Voorst’ with a camera, but I experience it as a drawing. The tonal range is so narrow, almost like a pencil study, or an etching. The artist’s mark is revealed in the delicate tracery of branches, and in the subtle gradations of tone that suggest depth and distance. Look at the way the trees are reflected in the water; they are almost dissolving. I’m interested in the patch of dark water, almost in the centre of the picture, surrounded by snow and ice. It’s a focal point, a mysterious void within the landscape. Tepe shares an interest in the depiction of landscape with other Dutch artists, like Jacob van Ruisdael. But I think that the real connection is to the drawings of someone like Philip Guston. Ultimately, art is about this kind of dialogue, an ongoing conversation.