Familie Kessler tijdens een uitje op het landgoed van kasteel Ter Horst in Loenen 1904

Geldolph Adriaan Kessler made this tiny photograph of his family enjoying a day out at the Ter Horst castle grounds. It’s like a snapshot of a bygone era, printed in a sepia tone. I’m trying to imagine Kessler setting up his camera, framing his family against that white tent. What was he thinking about as he composed the shot? Was he trying to capture a perfect family moment, or was he simply documenting a day in the life? The whole image has this dreamy, slightly blurry quality, like a memory fading at the edges. Look at the way the light filters through the trees, casting shadows on the grass, creating a sense of depth. I find myself wondering about the relationship between photography and painting, and how each medium can capture a different kind of truth. Maybe Kessler, like other artists, was just trying to make sense of the world, one image at a time.