August Kotzsch never lived more than a day’s walk from
the small town of Loschwitz, Germany, and his rootedness in this landscape gave
him an appreciation for its subtleties. In this striking photograph, the rigid
geometry of the stack of apples contrasts with the imperfections and varied
sizes of the fruit. Though Kotzsch created portraits and landscape photographs
for the local market, this still life and the 50 others he produced were not
meant for sale. Each still life features local fruits on a white plate in soft
sunlight. The repetition of this simple subject matter and composition demonstrates
Kotzsch’s attempt to capture nature’s endless variety.