Boomstammen in een veld before 1901

This black and white photograph, *Boomstammen in een veld* or 'Tree trunks in a field', was taken by Hauptmann A. Böhmer in the late 19th or early 20th century. I imagine the photographer, Böhmer, out in the field, under a cloudy sky, setting up the camera, peering into the lens. I wonder what he was thinking? Was he simply interested in the formal arrangement of the tree trunks against the stark landscape? Was he drawn to their rough textures, their silent presence? I bet Böhmer saw something special in these old stumps – something more than just dead wood. Maybe they reminded him of human figures, standing stoic and alone. Or perhaps they were simply a way to capture the beauty of nature in a changing world. Whatever his reasons, Böhmer's photograph invites us to pause and consider the stories these silent witnesses might tell.