Het gezelschap bij een wandeling in een stadspark in de Harz c. 1903 - 1908

This is Geldolph Adriaan Kessler's photograph, "Het gezelschap bij een wandeling in een stadspark in de Harz," showing people strolling in a park. The image has a sort of dreamy quality, maybe because of the sepia tone, or perhaps because there is such a range of soft greys. What gets me is how the architecture in the background is blurred into the trees. Look at the way the buildings are almost part of the landscape, becoming one with the foliage and sky. It’s this kind of ambiguity that makes you wonder about the relationship between nature and civilization, and how we as humans see ourselves fitting into this picture. You know, this reminds me a little of Corot's landscapes, where things are soft and atmospheric. It's like Kessler’s photograph is just one moment captured in time, suggesting that art is an ongoing conversation across generations.