Paul en Lucie Sandel met groot gezelschap met door Paul buitgemaakte krokodil,, Tandjong Poera, Langkat Sumatra c. 1900 - 1910

This photograph by Heinrich Ernst & Co captures a moment in Tandjong Poera, Langkat Sumatra, featuring Paul and Lucie Sandel with a large group and a crocodile. Look at the tonal range here, the way the sepia tones create an overall mood. You can feel the heat and the humidity, can’t you? The texture is revealed through the contrast, like the rough skin of the crocodile versus the smooth fabrics of the Sandels’ clothing. The way the light catches the crocodile’s scales, makes me think about brushstrokes and the physical act of applying paint. Each scale is a tiny gesture, a little mark, like a pointillist painting, or the way Pollock flicked paint onto a canvas. The differences in texture bring out the emotional layers. It's interesting how a photograph, typically seen as a record of reality, can be just as expressive as a painting. Think of Gerhard Richter's blurred photos turned paintings or Vija Celmins’ meticulous renderings of photographs. This image, like those artworks, reminds us that seeing is always a form of interpretation.