Pad langs suikerriet c. 1900s - 1910s

This anonymous photo, ‘Pad langs suikerriet’ in the Rijksmuseum, captures a path by sugar cane fields. It's all greyscale; shades of grey create a landscape of subtle contrasts. The eye is led by lines, those trees, the road and the canal that all point toward a vanishing point in the distance. The texture feels almost palpable, you can imagine the rough road underfoot and the dense growth of the sugar cane on either side. Look closely at the way the light plays across the canal water – like a mirror reflecting the sky, creating an almost surreal sense of depth. That small bridge over the canal, a single, simple line, is like an invitation to step into the scene. It reminds me of some of Gerhard Richter’s blurred landscapes, where clarity and ambiguity merge. Like Richter, this anonymous photographer uses the medium to explore the poetics of space and memory. There are no easy answers here, only possibilities.