Aankomst van het vliegtuig met de delegatie van gouverneur A.H. Neijs voor een bezoek aan de leprozerie Pelantoengan 1931 - 1935

This is a vintage photograph by Otto Hisgen. It captures the arrival of a delegation by plane for a visit to a leper colony. The sepia tones cast the scene in nostalgia. Imagine Hisgen, composing this shot, thinking about how to convey both the marvel of the new technology of flight, and the human drama unfolding beneath its wings. The figures, mostly clad in white, stand in a cluster. What are they thinking as they disembark? What kind of feeling do they have when arriving at the colony? Photography, like painting, has the power to capture a moment, but also to suggest the emotional atmosphere surrounding it. The grainy texture and the stark contrast between light and shadow give the image a timeless quality, and it reminds us of the ongoing conversations between artists across different mediums. It's not just about what we see, but how we feel and interpret the layers of meaning embedded within it.