Gezicht in het park van Paleis Het Loo in Apeldoorn 1900 - 1930

Richard Tepe made this photo of the park at Paleis Het Loo with gelatin silver print sometime in his life. The way this image is rendered, it feels like a memory, softened at the edges, with a narrow range of sepia tones. I'm struck by how the light seems to glow from within the image, almost as though it’s been illuminated from behind. This feels appropriate for an image depicting the grounds of a palace, somewhere that is both grand and intimate. The composition, too, feels deeply considered. It seems like Tepe is inviting us to share his perspective, to wander along the path, to pause and take in the grandeur. The way that the light seems to catch on the leaves of the trees, giving them a hazy glow reminds me a little of the landscapes of Corot. Both artists share a similar sensitivity to the way light can transform a scene, rendering it both familiar and strange all at once. Ultimately, this photograph feels less like a document and more like a meditation.