Paleistuin te Ferabad, Perzië Possibly 1925 - 1926

A.G.A. van Eelde made this photograph, Paleistuin te Ferabad, Perzië, with a camera, capturing a scene that feels both familiar and distant. I wonder what it was like to stand there, in Persia, framing this shot. Did van Eelde feel like an intruder, a recorder of someone else’s life? There’s a stillness to the image, a quiet observation of figures by the water. Look at the way the light filters through the trees, creating a soft, almost dreamlike quality. The texture of the photograph itself—the graininess, the contrast—adds to its charm. It’s not just a record of a place, but a record of a moment in time, seen through the eyes of an artist. The choice of composition, the balance of light and shadow, it all speaks to van Eelde’s vision. Thinking about this now I feel an urge to run into my studio and work with black and white paint and create a similar atmosphere. I think that's the point of art, really, it inspires and keeps us going.