Mullein, Siebengebirge c. 1930 - 1938

August Sander captured this Mullein in Siebengebirge with his camera, and the image is so tactile, I can almost feel the rough texture of the plant’s leaves and the coarse surface of the rock behind it. I can imagine Sander, carefully positioning his camera, maybe waiting for the perfect light to illuminate the velvety hairs on the mullein’s stem. He must have been thinking about how to capture the essence of this plant, its stoic presence in the landscape, and its subtle beauty against the backdrop of the ancient rocks. The way he’s framed the shot, with the mullein reaching upwards, almost feels like a conversation between the natural world and something more monumental and timeless. It reminds me that artists, in their own way, are always looking, always in conversation with the world around them.