A Chinese garden before 1908

This silver gelatin print of a Chinese garden was captured by Geldolph Adriaan Kessler, sometime in the early 20th century. It’s small, almost postcard-sized, and rendered in dreamy sepia tones. Imagine Kessler with his camera, trying to capture the light filtering through the trees, hitting those incredible rocks. I wonder what it was like for him, composing this shot? The textures must have been fascinating - the craggy rocks against the smooth faces of the people. It's interesting how one artist looks at a garden, and another tries to capture it. It feels like a conversation across time and place. Each artist brings their own way of seeing and feeling. It's a reminder that art is about exchange, and how we see is constantly shaped by others. There's no definitive reading, just layers of looking.