Portret van Ada Krüseman en Edward Burch, Tjibeber 1932

This photograph of Ada Krüseman and Edward Burch in Tjibeber was created sometime in the past by an anonymous artist. Look at how they stand together amongst the shrubbery, posing for a picture in front of the trees. They both look so self-assured and content. What do you think it might have been like to be the photographer, capturing this moment? The surface of the photograph is small, but you can see the level of detail. Even though it's in black and white, you can imagine how bright the sun was that day. The rough edges of the photograph are like the edges of memory: not everything is clear, but it doesn’t need to be. This image tells us a story. Photography is a conversation between the photographer, the subject, and us, the viewers. This image, just like any painting, offers up a way of seeing and experiencing a world. And, just like painting, this photograph opens a space of imagination to make sense of it.