Woning van de geneesheer Wesenhagen in Paramaribo 1900 - 1910

This black and white photograph shows the home of Doctor Wesenhagen in Paramaribo, captured by the doctor himself. I find myself wondering about Wesenhagen and his life in Paramaribo, what kind of life he had? He wasn’t just a doctor, he was also a photographer. Imagine him setting up his camera, adjusting the focus, and composing the shot. It makes you wonder about his intention: was he documenting his life, reflecting on his place in the world, or maybe just experimenting with a new medium? I wonder if he was thinking about the shadows, the contrast, the way the light defines the forms of the buildings. Did he sense the image would travel through time and end up in the Rijksmuseum? Painters and photographers, we’re all driven by this urge to capture something, to make sense of the world through our own unique lens, just like Wesenhagen did here.