Anton bij wachterskamp op Ma retraite 1903 - 1910

Hendrik Doijer made this small black and white photograph of Anton near a guard camp at Ma Retraite. I can imagine Doijer under the shaded forest canopy, carefully composing the shot. There is something beautiful about the camp and the nature around it. The way it all blends together tells a story about people who are part of the world. He frames Anton standing near a simple wooden structure, maybe a guard post. The light and shadow make the foliage seem almost painted rather than photographed. What was Doijer thinking about when he took this picture? Was he interested in the intersection between the natural and the human? The transience or permanence of these structures? In its own way, this photograph seems to be engaging in a dialogue with the history of landscape painting. It prompts us to consider how we find beauty and meaning in unexpected places. Just like painting, photography shows us new ways of seeing.