Droogvloer op "Ma retraite" 1903 - 1910

Editor: Here we have Hendrik Doijer's "Droogvloer op "Ma retraite"," created sometime between 1903 and 1910, using a cyanotype print. It's overwhelmingly blue and depicts a large area covered with what seems to be some kind of agricultural product. There are a couple of people visible in the distance... what do you make of this? Curator: Well, considering Doijer's background and the era, this cyanotype presents us with a fascinating glimpse into the socio-economic structures of colonial agricultural production. Notice the vast scale of the drying floor, and then the very limited view of any actual individuals performing labour in that space. Editor: Right. It feels like the focus is on the industrial landscape rather than the people working there. Curator: Precisely. The “Ma retraite” of the title hints at something, doesn’t it? This wasn't about idyllic farm life, but industry... Likely, this depicts part of a plantation, probably in the Dutch East Indies, where Doijer worked. The cyanotype process, cheap and easily reproducible, becomes itself an interesting document – how would this image have circulated? Editor: So it's not just a picture; it's a record of colonial labour practices, almost presented as a spectacle of efficient production. Do you think the blueness of the cyanotype process adds something to that narrative? Curator: Absolutely. It aestheticizes, even sterilizes, the scene, perhaps obscuring the harsh realities of plantation life. Consider who this image was *for*. Was it an internal report? Meant to impress investors? To be sold as tourist souvenirs? Those options alone give us a wealth of historical contexts to pursue. Editor: That makes so much sense. I initially saw only a beautiful, blue landscape, but now I see it represents a much larger political picture. Curator: Indeed. Looking at the image, and its probable colonial origins, helps us examine how visual media shaped and reinforced particular social and power dynamics.