Klaas en Tiny Kleiterp zittend temidden van speelgoed in een tuin in Madjene op Celebes 1922 - 1928

This photograph by Klaas (I) Kleiterp captures Klaas and Tiny Kleiterp seated amidst toys in a Madjene garden, Celebes. The sepia tones evoke a sense of nostalgia, while the composition is arranged with the children at the center, surrounded by their playthings, creating a tableau of childhood innocence. Formally, the arrangement of the toys, table and chairs creates a structured space within the natural setting. The composition invites contemplation on the relationship between children and their possessions. The photograph uses a semiotic language, inviting us to interpret the symbols of childhood, domesticity, and colonial life. It presents childhood as a constructed space, framed within a specific cultural and geographical context. By capturing this moment, Kleiterp encourages us to consider the values and representations embedded in such images.