Gezicht op boerderij Leyenhof te Wahlwiller 1890

This photograph captures the Leyenhof farm in Wahlwiller, rendered with the soft light and texture of its time. The farmhouse, solid and enduring, presents a façade partly embraced by climbing plants. This motif of nature intertwined with human construction resonates with the ancient symbol of the "hortus conclusus," or enclosed garden, suggesting a space of refuge and renewal. The building, a testament to human effort, slowly blends with the natural world, alluding to the cyclical rhythms of life and decay. Throughout history, we see the same impulse to merge architecture and nature. Think of the gardens of Babylon, or the vine-covered ruins depicted in Romantic paintings, and how it evokes our subconscious desire for harmony between our built environment and the natural world. This recurring symbol taps into a deep-seated emotional longing for connection with nature, a force that shapes our collective memory. The cyclical progression of decay and renewal persists, echoing through time in diverse visual forms.