Rivier bij Deli-Toewa op Sumatra c. 1900 - 1920

Curator: Looking at this gelatin silver print, I'm struck by the cool tones of the water and the thick foliage pressing in from either side. It feels...contained. Editor: It's "River near Deli-Toewa in Sumatra," a photograph likely taken between 1900 and 1920. The photographer remains anonymous, but its location here in the Rijksmuseum encourages us to look deeper than simply at face value. Curator: Absolutely. There’s a definite mood, though. That greyscale… it’s more than just documentarian, wouldn’t you agree? The river’s stillness, reflecting the overhanging jungle… it's almost meditative, despite being just a snippet of somewhere else. Editor: That "somewhere else" is critical. Deli-Toewa was a region on Sumatra heavily involved in Dutch colonial tobacco cultivation. This tranquil scene obscures the exploitative labor practices of that time, the ways in which land was seized, and how indigenous communities were impacted. It invites questions about the photographer's intentions, and more broadly, about the role of landscape photography in constructing and perpetuating colonial narratives. Curator: Ah, that subtext makes it darker. But maybe there's resistance even here, an unintended echo of the untouched beauty they sought to dominate? I am still stuck on those lush forms looming—a little bit frightening if you really look. Editor: Perhaps. One might see it as resistance, but I'm also cautious about romanticizing such interpretations. Remember, this image likely circulated amongst a European audience, reinforcing notions of exotic lands ripe for taking. Curator: Right. The filter through which we see... even now. What an echo. It certainly encourages awareness. I may have let that tranquility fool me initially. Editor: Indeed. And by examining those complexities, we move towards a richer, more honest engagement with both the photograph and its legacy.