Gezicht op de uitmonding van de Oembilienrivier in het Singkarakmeer op Sumatra c. 1900 - 1920

This photo of the mouth of the Oembilien River in Sumatra was taken by Christiaan Benjamin Nieuwenhuis, capturing a scene teeming with life. I can imagine Nieuwenhuis, lugging his heavy equipment through the Sumatran landscape, searching for the perfect vantage point. It must have been so hot and humid! I wonder what caught his eye in this particular spot? It’s almost as if the river itself is a brushstroke, cutting through the landscape. The way the light plays on the water, creating these shimmering reflections, reminds me of the way I layer paint in my own work, building up textures and depths. I find myself drawn to the contrasts in the scene – the lush, dense vegetation, the calm water, the stark light. Nieuwenhuis and his camera were onto something, he captured a moment in time, a fleeting glimpse of a world in constant flux. It makes me think about the ephemeral nature of our own lives. How everything is always changing, shifting, flowing like the river.