Vrouw knielt bij drie ganzen op een boerderij c. 1900 - 1930

This photograph by Richard Tepe captures a woman kneeling amongst geese on a farm. I wonder what it must have been like, setting up the shot in that farmyard. It makes you think about the textures of farm life, the rough brick and wooden door contrasting with the sleek feathers of the geese. I find myself drawn to the goose that the woman cradles, its soft white feathers a symbol of purity or naivety. It’s like she’s whispering secrets to it, or maybe she’s just checking it’s ok, like a vet. The wall is an irregular grid which might give you the feeling of control that the artist sought, even if the subjects of the photograph had other ideas. This piece reminds me of the quiet moments captured by other early photographers, like Gertrude Käsebier, who found beauty in the everyday. Tepe's photograph is a reminder that the most profound stories are often found in the simplest of scenes.