Willow pattern tea house before 1908

Geldolph Adriaan Kessler captured this photo of a tea house, a vision in sepia tones, somewhere, sometime. It’s like a memory, faded and softened by time. Look at how the light catches the eaves of the building, turning the tiled roofs into rhythmic zigzags. The reflections in the water below are so evocative. I love how they blur the line between the solid structure and its watery doppelganger. Is it solid, or is it a dream? I'm reminded of Atget, the French photographer, who documented the streets of Paris at the turn of the century. Both artists seem to be interested in capturing a world on the brink of change, a world that is both beautiful and fleeting. Just as Atget saw beauty in the ordinary, Kessler finds it in this humble tea house, transforming it into something magical. The image invites us to slow down, to savor the moment, and to appreciate the beauty that surrounds us, even in the most unexpected places.