Karbouwengat met op de achtergrond de berg Singgalang op Sumatra c. 1900 - 1920

This photograph by Christiaan Benjamin Nieuwenhuis captures Karbouwengat with the Singgalang mountain in Sumatra. The sepia tone gives it an old-world feel, but it’s the detail that really grabs you. Look closely at the way the light catches the top of the mountain, then drops to the dense forest below. It's all about textures here. The rough, craggy edges of the cliff face contrast with the soft, almost hazy peak in the distance. The trees are like a dark, solid line, anchoring the whole composition. There is a real sense of depth, with each layer receding into the distance. It reminds me of some of those early landscape painters, like a more rugged version of a Corot. But what's cool is that it's a photograph, so you’re getting a different kind of realness. It's a conversation between seeing and feeling, and how we make sense of a world that's always changing.