Straat in de Chinese Kamp in Padang met links het gebouw van 'Handel Maatschappij Kong Tjiang Loeng voor heen Ma A Sie' c. 1900 - 1920

Christiaan Benjamin Nieuwenhuis captured this street in Padang, probably with a large format camera, given the detail, in the late 19th or early 20th century. It's a brown toned image, a kind of umber wash, with a sharp focus that gives way to a soft blur in the distance. I wonder what Nieuwenhuis was thinking as he composed this shot, if he saw himself as an objective observer or if he was aware of his own position as a colonial presence. The even lighting lends the scene a documentary feel, yet the depth of field creates a subtle sense of drama. There's a real tension here, the way the street pulls you in, but the details keep you at a distance, maybe that’s the point. It reminds me of Atget's photographs of Paris – a similar stillness and sense of being in a particular time. Photography, like painting, allows us to explore and reflect on our place in the world, to capture not just what we see, but how we see it. We build on the visions of those who came before.