Vulkanen (waaronder de Bromo) in het Tenggergebergte, Java, Nederlands-Indië c. 1895 - 1915

Onnes Kurkdjian made this photograph of volcanoes in Java in the Dutch East Indies. It's monochrome, so we’re already thinking about the absence of colour as a choice. It’s about tone and texture, the way light falls and illuminates the scene. I'm really drawn to the sea of clouds nestled between the mountain peaks. It’s like looking at a landscape painting, but created by nature itself. The clouds almost feel like a material thing, like a soft blanket draped over the valleys. Notice the contrast between the smooth, almost velvety texture of the clouds and the rough, jagged edges of the volcanic rock. It gives the image a wonderful sense of depth and tactility. It reminds me of the work of Caspar David Friedrich and other painters of the Romantic era. They found a similar kind of awe in the face of nature’s grandeur. Ultimately, this photograph invites us to contemplate our place within the vastness of the natural world.