Zeilschip voor anker voor de kust van Nederlands-Indië c. 1920 - 1930

Klaas Kleiterp made this photograph of a sailboat anchored off the coast of Indonesia at an unknown date. It's all in sepia tones and low contrast, like a faded memory. The sea is calm, but the boat strains against its mooring. I imagine Kleiterp, squinting in the tropical sun, trying to capture this scene with his cumbersome camera. What was he thinking? Was he homesick, longing for the Netherlands? Or was he fascinated by the exotic landscape, the vibrant culture so different from his own? The way the boat leans, almost exhausted, makes me think of other artists who've captured the sea, like Turner, but here, there’s a stillness, a melancholy that's all Kleiterp's own. Artists are always in conversation, you know, echoing and answering each other across time. And this little photograph, with its quiet beauty, adds its voice to the chorus. It is also important to note, that not all artists use paint!