Rivier op plantage Accaribo te Suriname 1916 - 1930

Theodoor Brouwers made this small photograph, Rivier op plantage Accaribo te Suriname, at an unknown date. It’s a muted palette of greys, and what strikes me most is the stillness, that he managed to capture such a quiet moment on film. I think about what it might have been like for Brouwers, standing there on the bank of the river. What did he feel looking at the plantation? The man in the water has his arm outstretched, and he’s pulling a fishing net, or perhaps he’s pointing, or maybe beckoning us in? Is it an invitation or a warning? The surface of the river is like a painting in itself, all those tiny brushstrokes creating texture and depth. You can see the ripples spreading out from the man's body, like he’s part of the landscape and the landscape is part of him. Brouwers’ photograph is another way of seeing, thinking, and experiencing the world.