Spoorbrug over een rivier c. 1900s - 1910s

This photograph, Spoorbrug over een rivier, was made by an anonymous artist, using photography. The greyscale tones, almost monochromatic, bring a certain starkness to the tropical scene. Look closely at the bridge. It's a simple structure, but the photographer has really captured the way that the linear, metallic geometry of the ironwork intersects with the organic forms of the palm trees and foliage. I'm drawn to the texture of the bridge's surface, the rough, almost granular quality of the metal and the way the light catches it. There's a person walking across the bridge in the picture, captured mid stride. In a way, this photograph reminds me of the work of someone like Bernd and Hilla Becher, who photographed industrial structures with such care and precision. But this image feels less detached, more personal. It captures a sense of place, of a specific moment in time, that makes it feel unique. Art always embraces ambiguity.