Groepsportret in een tuin, Batavia 1932

This is a small black and white photograph, showing a group portrait in a garden in Batavia, now Jakarta. It’s hard to know exactly when it was taken, or by whom, but the tone and texture of the print gives the impression of something old and maybe a little worn. Look at the way the figures are arranged; a mixture of poses, some sitting, some standing, some looking directly at the camera, others with their gaze averted. It’s a carefully staged composition, yet also strangely awkward, with the people crammed together into the frame. There’s a real contrast here between the soft, organic forms of the foliage and the rigid formality of the group. The monochrome palette emphasizes the contrast between light and shadow, and a strong, direct light gives the image a slightly bleached effect. It reminds me of the work of August Sander, who used photography as a way of documenting the German population in the early twentieth century, but there’s a casual, relaxed feeling here too, something much more personal and intimate. Like all good art, this image contains its own mysteries, inviting us to reflect on the nature of time, memory and representation.