Bloeiende Hortensia in een binnenruimte c. 1900 - 1930

Curator: Good morning! We're standing before Richard Tepe's gelatin-silver print, "Bloeiende Hortensia in een binnenruimte," which translates to "Blooming Hydrangeas in an Interior," dating roughly from 1900 to 1930. It's part of the Rijksmuseum collection. Editor: What a striking combination of delicacy and... well, a somewhat sinister edge. The masses of pale hydrangeas, almost floating, against the dark background, and then…is that a boar’s head on the wall? Curator: Indeed! The juxtaposition is quite intentional. Tepe, as a photographer aligned with the Dutch naturalistic movement, often played with these contrasts. The hydrangeas represent the beauty and transience of nature, a common theme. But the boar’s head? It's an age-old symbol of the hunt, of primal instincts tamed and displayed as a trophy. Editor: It’s like a still life with a lurking presence. I get a strong feeling of tension – like a repressed narrative waiting to be unleashed. Curator: The gelatin-silver print process contributes to this feeling as well. Its tonal range and sharpness create a sense of hyper-reality, making every detail, from the veins in the leaves to the texture of the boar’s head, almost unnervingly present. Think about the period – the early 20th century – and the societal tensions between tradition and modernity. Editor: I am intrigued by how the masses of blooms feel almost cloud-like, even spectral, softened against this darker and highly constructed formal scene, a home in transition. Is Tepe exploring what "domestic bliss" truly represents for the Dutch? I read "tradition" here as resistance, in a way. Curator: You touch on a critical element. By arranging the floral display inside, he frames the hydrangea—associated with domesticity—against the looming image of male virility as resistance to the gentility of women, confined in domestic spaces by cultural norms. The "garden" becomes less the idyllic nature one might expect, and more an attempt at controlling feminine space. Editor: I won't lie. My imagination conjures characters. This image isn't still at all. Thank you. Curator: It makes me wonder what narratives we continue to construct through our symbolic arrangements and choices today. Food for thought, definitely.