Anton onder bamboe op Ma retraite 1903 - 1910

Hendrik Doijer made this photograph of Anton under bamboo at Ma retraite sometime between 1863 and 1925. The image is formed of silvery greys and blacks, with an amazing contrast between the light and the dark. I wonder what it was like for Doijer to be in this jungle-like landscape. Was he a painter too? Did he ever think about how to capture this scene in brushstrokes? What kind of palette would he use to describe that filtered light? Look at the dense latticework of bamboo stalks reaching upwards. You can almost feel the humid air. The photograph gives a sense of enclosure, like the walls of an outdoor room. I can imagine the rustling sounds, the feel of the bamboo, and the warm earthy smells. Think of Henri Rousseau’s exotic jungle scenes. Doijer’s photograph makes me think about the rich possibilities of painting itself!