Moskee in de Padangse Bovenlanden op Sumatra c. 1900 - 1920

This photograph, Moskee in de Padangse Bovenlanden op Sumatra, was taken by Christiaan Benjamin Nieuwenhuis. What strikes me about this image is the almost painterly quality Nieuwenhuis coaxes from the photographic medium. It’s about texture, right? Look at the corrugated surface of that incredible roof, for example. Those marks, those lines, are so alive, so expressive. There’s a dialogue happening between the built structure and the wild, verdant landscape surrounding it. And the light! It’s almost tangible, creating these delicate, ephemeral moments. The mountains in the background, fading into the mist, the lush foliage, the intricate details of the architecture. It all comes together to form this harmonious whole, evoking a sense of quiet contemplation, or meditation. It’s not dissimilar to some of the landscapes of the Dutch Masters. A reminder, perhaps, that art is always an ongoing conversation, a continuous exchange of ideas across time and space.