Paard met hooiwagen en een boer en boerin before 1903

Oskar de Teffé made this photograph – called "Horse with Hay Cart and a Farmer and his Wife" – using a gelatin silver process. The materiality of photography is often overlooked, but it deeply affects our perception. Here, the contrast between light and shadow, and the silver-toned appearance, all contribute to the image's solemn, timeless quality. Look closely, and you can see the careful arrangement of the composition: the dark mass of the hay cart balanced by the figures of the farmer and his wife. The gelatin silver print process itself, while technically complex, connects this image to a wider social context. It was a widely adopted technology, enabling mass production and consumption of images. Yet, the content of the photograph - depicting a traditional farming scene – speaks to the complex relationship between modernity and rural life. By considering materials, making, and context, we can fully appreciate this work, challenging traditional distinctions between fine art and the everyday.