Huis tussen de bomen aan het water c. 1905 - 1907

Folkert Idzes de Jong made this gelatin silver print, Huis tussen de bomen aan het water, sometime around the turn of the century, with light and chemistry. The limited palette gives it a timeless quality, like a memory half-faded. Looking closely, the texture of the water is almost palpable. You can almost feel the gentle ripples. The trees are rendered with such delicate detail that they seem to breathe. That one spot of light, just above the house – is it the sun breaking through, or a trick of the chemicals? I love how de Jong embraces the ambiguity. It reminds me of Corot, who was similarly interested in capturing a feeling or atmosphere, rather than a literal representation. It’s less about what we see, and more about how we see.