In de suikerfabriek 1890 - 1910

This photograph, “In de suikerfabriek” by Otto Hisgen, captures a sugar factory, likely in the early 20th century. The prominent stacks of sugarcane are more than mere agricultural product; they symbolize labor and the human effort to transform nature into sustenance. The image echoes motifs of harvest and industry found throughout art history. Think of Pieter Bruegel’s depictions of peasant life, or Millet’s “The Gleaners,” where the land and its yield are central. In this photograph, the sugarcane functions similarly, representing the cycle of cultivation and the transformation of raw material into a processed commodity. The repetitive arrangement evokes a sense of endless labor, almost meditative in its monotony. The presence of the factory hints at the mechanization of this process, marking a shift from hand-worked fields to industrial production. This transformation, laden with its own psychological weight, suggests a complex relationship between man and machine, a theme that resurfaces continuously in modern art. The cyclical nature of harvest and production, once intimately tied to the land, now finds itself intertwined with the relentless march of industrial progress.