Erf van een boerderij met ganzen, eenden en kinderen c. 1900 - 1930

Richard Tepe captured this photograph, “Farmhouse with Geese, Ducks, and Children,” with gelatin silver print. Consider the symbolism of fowl. Here, geese are not mere barnyard inhabitants; they have long stood as symbols of vigilance and protection. Think of the geese of the Capitoline, whose honking alerted the Romans to the invading Gauls. But now, consider the transformation: in medieval tapestries, geese might appear as symbols of domesticity, or even folly. This dichotomy embodies the life of symbols themselves – constantly shifting, adapting, reflecting the anxieties and aspirations of those who behold them. The children present in this bucolic scene harken to the memory of a pastoral past, embodying a certain nostalgia. They are the subconscious made visible: an idealized vision of simpler times. Even now, these images can stir in us long-dormant memories, a powerful echo resonating through the ages.