Gewas op plantage Accaribo, Suriname 1913 - 1930

Curator: Ah, a fascinating print from sometime between 1913 and 1930, entitled "Gewas op plantage Accaribo, Suriname," currently held in the Rijksmuseum. Editor: Whoa, my first impression? Haunted orchard. Those pale fruits hanging in the gloom… it's like the ghost of harvests past is lingering. Curator: That gloom, as you call it, stems from the photographic technique of the time and, of course, its subject matter: a plantation scene in Suriname. Note the photographer, Theodoor Brouwers. He clearly aimed to capture the environment, but these images can't be separated from the history of colonialism and resource extraction. Editor: Right. You can almost feel the weight of that history just in the dark tones. Were they growing something specific here, do you think? Looks like barrels underneath; that could be some kind of pickling operation for transport. Curator: Indeed. The Accaribo plantation, like many others in Suriname, likely cultivated crops such as coffee, cocoa, or sugar cane, each inextricably linked to the forced labor of enslaved people and later, contract workers. Editor: It’s unsettling to think something so idyllic-seeming can conceal that violence. Art isn't just beauty, is it? Sometimes it holds a mirror to harder truths. But it is fascinating how Brouwers created such an intimate picture out of it. Like getting up close to the past. Curator: Exactly. Photography from this era offers us invaluable insights into those colonial landscapes and the economic systems that shaped them. This plantation wasn’t merely an agricultural enterprise but also a social and political institution. Brouwers, by capturing it, invites questions, critiques, and reflection on that power. Editor: I think you just hit on the art. It creates discussion, makes us consider context. Seeing it this way makes this dark orchard grow even more unsettling, because while a surface-level viewing shows nature and life, but you dig and dig and find history and politics all weaved in. Thanks for digging today, so interesting to talk about! Curator: My pleasure, these images remind us how vital historical awareness is. It makes it so much more rewarding.