Gezicht op de kust van Perim, met vissersboten 1904

This small, anonymous photograph shows a coastal view of Perim with fishing boats. You can see the scene rendered in shades of grey and brown, with a large body of water taking up the foreground. I wonder what it was like to be the photographer, standing there on the shore. The light is soft, like a memory. It reminds me of early landscape paintings; there's a similar feeling of trying to capture a sense of place, a mood. The composition is simple and balanced, with the land on the horizon and the boats scattered across the water. I imagine this photograph as a quiet, contemplative piece, inviting us to pause and reflect on the beauty of the natural world and the lives of those who make their living from the sea. There is a sense of intimacy, of closeness, but also a sense of distance and detachment. It makes me think about the relationship between the artist and their subject, and how that relationship shapes our experience of the artwork.