Gezicht op een tempel aan de oever van een rivier before 1897

Christiaan Johan Neeb made this photographic print of a temple by a river. The photograph's sepia tones and the paper's creamy texture lend it a timeless quality, typical of photographic practices of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Neeb would have been working in a darkroom, carefully controlling the exposure and development of the image. The labor-intensive process required technical skill and a keen eye for composition. Photography at this time was still a relatively novel technology, not yet fully integrated into mass culture. This photograph invites us to consider the role of photography in shaping our understanding of culture and place. It also prompts us to reflect on photography's transformation from a labor-intensive craft to an everyday activity. This perspective encourages us to reconsider traditional distinctions between fine art and craft, prompting us to explore the social, cultural, and historical contexts that shaped its creation.