Weg door een bosrijke omgeving in Nederlands-Indië c. 1920 - 1930

This photograph of a woodland path in the Dutch East Indies was taken by Klaas Kleiterp. The image shows a path flanked by dense trees. The trees are visually dominant; they might bring to mind the "axis mundi" or world tree, a symbol found in many cultures, connecting the earthly and spiritual realms. The path, receding into the distance, echoes a similar motif of the "path of life" found in numerous artistic traditions from the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden to the paths in Romantic landscape paintings. In these works, the path represents a journey through life, fraught with obstacles, yet offering the possibility of spiritual or emotional revelation. Such a landscape could be interpreted as a stage for inner psychological dramas, where viewers can project their own anxieties and hopes. The path is not just a physical road but a symbol laden with cultural and psychological weight.