Een woning met grote veranda en tuin op het eiland Madura. c. 1903

This photograph, captured by Frits Freerks Fontein Fz. in 1910, shows a house with a large veranda and garden on the island of Madura. It's sepia tones give it a feeling of old memories and distant lands. What strikes me is the texture – that intricate roof, the foliage that surrounds the house. You can almost feel the warmth of the sun on the tiles. The picture seems to breathe, with its own rhythm, an invitation to slow down and take stock. The veranda calls to me, imagine the shade there, a relief from the bright sun. I see the light playing through the trees and the architectural details. This reminds me of the way Edward Hopper uses light to evoke a particular mood. It's about finding the extraordinary in the everyday, embracing the quiet poetry of existence.