Exterieur van het huis van de familie Poolman-Beyne op tabaksplantage Mariendal van de Deli Maatschappij te Medan c. 1900 - 1920

This photograph depicts the exterior of the Poolman-Beyne family's house on the Mariendal tobacco plantation of the Deli Company in Medan. I imagine the photographer carefully framing the shot, deciding just how much of that lush lawn to include. The house itself is a mix of local and colonial architecture, and the car parked out front hints at a life of privilege. I bet the photographer was thinking about the family's wealth and status, and how they fit into the larger social and political landscape of the time. But the real magic happens in the way the light falls across the scene, creating a sense of depth and atmosphere. It's like the photographer is inviting us to step into this world, to imagine what it might have been like to live in this house, in this time, in this place. And that's what great art is all about, isn't it?