Op de koffieplantage, Langkat Sumatra c. 1900

Editor: Here we have "Op de koffieplantage, Langkat Sumatra," a photograph taken around 1900 by Heinrich Ernst & Co., currently held at the Rijksmuseum. It strikes me how the composition leads the eye from the figures in the foreground up through the seemingly endless rows of coffee plants. What compositional elements jump out at you? Curator: Note how the image’s tonality works in concert with its depth. The restricted range of tones—the subtle gradations in value—serve to flatten the picture plane even as the perspective recedes. The photographer has used what appears to be toned paper stock to establish the natural palette of sepia hues that unify the entire picture. Do you find that the overall structure of receding planes strengthens or weakens the photographic illusion of depth? Editor: I see what you mean. The repetition and soft tones do flatten it, but the placement of the figures also guides the eye, creating a push and pull. How do the trees contribute to this tension? Curator: The careful articulation of these arabesque organic shapes against a very subtly shifting background provides an almost graphic contrast, not only drawing the viewer into the receding planes, but further activating them with both tonal and textural shifts. In what way does the interplay of geometric and organic shapes seem relevant to you? Editor: The geometry represents order, maybe colonial control, against the wilder organic growth of the landscape? I’m just starting to learn to look beyond the surface, thinking about what the forms themselves are communicating. Curator: Precisely! This picture performs more subtle formal functions that, with time, your trained eye will instinctively perceive. Keep honing your observation! Editor: Thanks, I will. I definitely have a better appreciation for how the various design elements create an intentional viewing experience.