Vier foto's van huizen en tuinen in Laren 1940

Curator: This work, created around 1940 by Norbert van den Berg, presents a photographic album page titled "Vier foto's van huizen en tuinen in Laren" -- that is, "Four photos of houses and gardens in Laren." Editor: It's interesting how these black and white photographs, especially the ones of the garden arbors, carry a mood of subdued, almost haunting tranquility. There’s something about the stark contrast and repetitive lines of the pergolas that draw me in. Curator: The timing of these photographs, taken during the early years of the Second World War, casts a significant shadow. Laren, a village with a history of artistic community, became a refuge for some, while others faced increasing danger. These images, depicting serene gardens and domestic architecture, represent a specific kind of privilege and perhaps even denial amidst escalating turmoil. Editor: I'm struck by how van den Berg uses light and shadow to create depth and texture, particularly in the photographs of the gardens. Note how the eye is led through the covered walkways with careful framing, using compositional balance. The realism with which they're rendered offers an intimacy, but there's also an impersonal quality about these structures in themselves. Curator: Indeed. One could consider these photographs in light of the Dutch concept of "gezelligheid," or coziness. However, during wartime, such idealized portrayals of home and garden took on complicated layers of meaning. While the houses might literally stand as symbols of shelter, the notion of home was being challenged for displaced people all across Europe. Editor: Viewed now, decades later, the subdued palette contributes to that pervasive melancholic mood. Do you think that was the intention of van den Berg when choosing the materials? Curator: I’m not sure about intention per se, but as a reflection, these images create dialogue between public facade and personal trauma of the era. The contrast between the calm scenes captured in these photos and the turmoil outside these garden walls gives these works much of their weight. Editor: I find myself continually drawn back to these black-and-white geometric shapes that create depth. What began as observation about the photographic rendering in fact becomes quite representative and self-reflective as we consider these gardens of wartime.