Patiënten, Europese geneesheer dr. Djawa en assistent poserend voor een ziekenhuis te Soengeiliat c. 1900 - 1920

This vintage photograph, now held at the Rijksmuseum, captures a group portrait in front of a hospital in Soengiliat, and is an historical document of its time. The anonymous photographer has created a carefully composed scene of light and shadow. The tonal range is fascinating. Close up, I find myself drawn to the stark contrast between the bright white of the building and the deep shadows under the eaves. It's not just about capturing an image; it's about sculpting with light, and it's a testament to seeing the world around us as a series of shapes and forms. The mass of the tree in the foreground is almost abstracted into an amorphous mass. Thinking about the process, I’m reminded that art is an ongoing conversation. You might think of someone like Bernd and Hilla Becher, with their black and white documentary photographs of industrial buildings. Each artist looks at the world and asks, what can I bring to this? What can I show people that they haven’t seen before? Art is always a way of seeing, rather than just a thing that is seen.