Boer die korenschoof bundelt 1900 - 1920

Henry Baudot created this photograph, titled 'Boer die korenschoof bundelt,' using an analogue process, resulting in a print of 170 by 218 millimetres. Notice how the grid applied to the image imposes an order, a structure onto the rural scene. This hints at a conceptual approach, transforming the act of documenting a farmer into an exploration of form. The composition focuses on the tactile quality of the sheaf and the worker’s hands, central in the frame. Baudot reduces the scene to its essential shapes and textures. Baudot seems to engage with semiotics by highlighting the act of ‘reading’ a landscape. The act of imposing a grid over the image challenges the traditional understanding of photography as a neutral record, questioning our perception of space and representation.