Leprozenkolonie Danaradja: vrouw met kleine kinderen en een paard 1922

This is a photograph of Leprozenkolonie Danaradja, a woman with small children and a horse, made by an anonymous artist. The sepia tones give the image a timeless quality, a sense of looking into the past. The composition of the three distinct images on one page, gives a sense of incompleteness, as if we are only catching glimpses of a wider reality. I’m drawn to the horse. The starkness of its silhouette against the lighter backdrop creates a powerful focal point, while the woman and children are somehow peripheral. There's a simplicity in the subject matter, and the horse appears as a stoic figure, embodying a quiet strength. Maybe the blurred boundaries, soft focus and lack of clarity mirror a half remembered memory. This photograph reminds me of the work of August Sander, particularly his portraits of people in early twentieth-century Germany. Like Sander, this artist seems interested in capturing the essence of a particular time and place, allowing us to reflect on how we see and remember.