Portret van het gezelschap Sandel in een boot op de Wampoe rivier, Tandjong Poera, Langkat Sumatra c. 1900

This photograph, taken by Heinrich Ernst & Co, captures the Sandel company on the Wampoe River in Sumatra. The stark whiteness of their clothing, uniforms against the lush, untamed landscape, immediately strikes the eye. This bold contrast reminds me of the visual language of power. White, often associated with purity, also symbolizes dominance. Think of the Roman emperors in their white togas, or the celestial beings depicted in religious art. In those examples, white is intended to evoke divinity and authority. Here, however, the colour serves a different purpose. The uniformity and hygiene it evokes speak of an attempt to impose order and control over a landscape perceived as chaotic. These connotations linger still, revealing our complex relationship with the exotic "Other". The photograph becomes a potent symbol of humanity’s enduring, sometimes troubling, quest to classify and command the natural world.