Pappeln (Poplars) c. 1932

August Sander made this photograph, Pappeln, with gelatin silver print. It's like he's trying to document the world around him, one thing at a time. There's a quietness in this image. Look at how the light filters through the leaves, making dappled patterns on the ground. It feels like a moment captured, a pause in time. Sander is so methodical, like he’s making a catalogue of the world, but in doing so, he elevates these trees to something beyond just their physical presence. It reminds me a little of the Bechers, with their deadpan documentation of industrial structures. But Sander is warmer, more human. He’s not just recording, he’s feeling. Art is always a conversation, a back and forth between what we see and how we feel. It's open to interpretation.