Jongen in een boom c. 1901s

This photo, Jongen in een boom, meaning Boy in a tree, by David Vermeulen, captures a fleeting moment, probably using early photographic processes. The image is almost entirely brown, or rather a study in the infinite tonal variety of brown. The light is concentrated to the top right, a blast of near white emerging through the tree. It's all about value, the transition from light to dark. There’s a real sense of atmosphere, like the feeling you get when you look up into the canopy of a tree on a sunny day. I’m drawn to the way the light catches the leaves. It’s so detailed and chaotic, capturing the complexity of nature. In some ways it reminds me of Van Gogh's paintings of trees. Both artists are clearly fascinated by the natural world. Both artists seem happy to embrace ambiguity, leaving room for the viewer to bring their own interpretations.