Wandeling in de bergen 1909

Curator: Here we have "Wandeling in de bergen" or "Walking in the Mountains" created around 1909 by Geldolph Adriaan Kessler, a gelatin silver print housed right here at the Rijksmuseum. Editor: The muted tones evoke a melancholic nostalgia. The double image is also interesting... it reminds me of those old stereoscopic images, designed to give the illusion of depth. There’s something quite ghostly about it. Curator: Ghostly, yes! This connects to the broader cultural anxieties of the time. Photography was still relatively new and often seen as capturing something of the soul, and this particular landscape recalls the Romantics' fascination with sublime, overpowering nature. The figures are small in comparison, dwarfed by the landscape. Editor: The composition certainly reinforces that idea of insignificance. But the way the figures are arranged – that subtle diagonal line across the frame – gives a sense of order, almost taming the wilderness. Curator: Consider, too, the fashions of the day; clothing represented social standing and perhaps Kessler’s yearning to elevate ordinary genre painting into something timeless. What appears as simple genre painting invites contemplation on humanity’s relationship to a majestic, indifferent nature and perhaps offers social commentary of its time. Editor: Indifferent indeed. You almost get the sense the people are merely props – or, better yet, part of some landscape tableau, meticulously placed within this visually poetic and emotionally evocative scene. Curator: And even props can carry significance. By observing such imagery over time, we start to see that recurring tropes reveal the deeper undercurrents in our cultural narratives and shared emotional history. Editor: Yes, and perhaps, by carefully attending to their arrangements, their tonal relationships, we unlock something about the particular visual logic Geldolph Adriaan Kessler followed. Thank you for this enlightening journey into Kessler's vision!