Dorpsgezicht in een dessa 1900 - 1935

This stereoscopic photograph of a village in Java was made by Neville Keasberry at an unknown date. It’s amazing how a photograph can feel almost like a drawing. Look at the tonal range here. The trees are etched into the scene, they look like they were drawn with charcoal. Then there are the buildings, flat planes almost like cardboard cutouts, and the fronds of the palm, they look like a burst of strokes. The photograph presents a village scene, the buildings are modest, the palm tree is the focal point, and the whole thing is cast in subdued, almost melancholic light. The composition has a way of making me feel quiet and reflective, like I'm looking at a world that is both familiar and far away. It reminds me of the tonal landscapes of Whistler, who was also interested in the relationship between painting and photography. Ultimately, this photograph by Keasberry speaks to the magic of seeing and the power of an image to transform our understanding of a place.