Gezicht op de Holy Street Mill nabij Chagford c. 1850 - 1880

Francis Bedford captured this photograph of the Holy Street Mill near Chagford. The mill, with its thatched roof, stands as a silent witness to a landscape steeped in time, each element resonating with ancient symbolism. Note the fallen tree trunk in the foreground. It recalls the motif of the “Umtrieb,” the pushing or carrying around of archaic, expressive forms through time. This fallen tree—once upright and reaching for the heavens—echoes the transience of life itself, mirroring ancient symbols of mortality and decay. Similar images are present in the "Hypnerotomachia Poliphili" with a tree trunk that symbolizes death. Consider also the symbolism of water implied by the mill. Water, in many cultures, represents purification, renewal, and the cyclical nature of existence. This recalls the symbolism of vanitas paintings, which show the ephemerality of life. Bedford's photograph, while seemingly a simple depiction of a rural scene, captures a deeper emotional and psychological landscape, subtly reminding us of the passage of time and the ever-present dance between life and decay.