Sneeuwklokjes before 1915

Richard Tepe made this gelatin silver print titled ‘Sneeuwklokjes’ – or ‘Snowdrops’ - at some point during his career in the Netherlands. As a photographer, Tepe worked for the Dutch government, documenting monuments and historical sites. He used photography as a tool of preservation, which was a widespread practice at that time. But this image of snowdrops tells another story. It is a still life, an artistic genre which was gaining respect in the late 19th century art world. What does it mean for Tepe to turn from the monuments of state to the humble snowdrop? The lack of a specific date makes it difficult to tie this image to a specific social context. However, if we compare it to other botanical photographs of the time, and delve into records of photographic societies and journals, we might be able to learn a great deal about the changing status of photography as art.