Aanleg spoorweg langs de Sarakreek in Suriname 1905 - 1910

This small photograph captures the construction of a railway along the Sarakreek in Suriname, by Jacob Evert Wesenhagen. The sepia tone gives the image a sense of distance and timelessness, yet it's also a stark reminder of the labor and transformation of the landscape. There’s something haunting in the way Wesenhagen frames the felled trees, their raw stumps jutting out, contrasting with the density of the untouched forest in the background. You can almost feel the weight of the air, the humidity, and the sheer physical effort of those building the railway. I keep coming back to the lone pole standing at the edge of the frame, a vertical slash that seems to both mark progress and mourn what’s been lost. It reminds me a little of some of the Bechers’ industrial landscapes, where the man-made sits so uneasily within the natural world. Ultimately, art doesn't offer answers but allows a space to think about things.