Leerling van Schule Schloss Salem tijdens zondagochtendwandeling c. 1929

This photograph, titled *Leerling van Schule Schloss Salem tijdens zondagochtendwandeling*, meaning "Student of Schule Schloss Salem during Sunday morning walk" was made by an anonymous artist. It is a scene of quiet observation. The range of monochromatic tones feels almost like a memory fading at the edges, like an old, beloved photograph. The composition is softly focused, more concerned with capturing a mood than a perfect likeness, and it's beautiful. My eye is drawn to the figure standing between two rows of trees, one side lighter than the other, dividing the composition. You can almost feel the rhythm of his walk. There's an interesting balance between the controlled lines of the trees and the more haphazard scattering of light and shadow on the path. It reminds me a little of the work of Eugène Atget. Both artists seem interested in finding the beauty in the everyday and capturing a specific sense of place. But unlike Atget, this artist has left us with a sense of mystery and ambiguity.