Ruiterspel met grote bal, Medan Sumatra by Heinrich Ernst & Co

Ruiterspel met grote bal, Medan Sumatra c. 1900 - 1905

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Artwork details

Dimensions
height 145 mm, width 236 mm
Location
Rijksmuseum
Copyright
Rijks Museum: Open Domain

About this artwork

Heinrich Ernst & Co made this photograph of a game on horseback in Medan, Sumatra using a camera. Look how the pale light falls evenly across the whole picture, softening the edges. The tones are almost monochromatic, giving the whole scene a feeling of distance. But then you notice the figures. They’re grouped in the centre, like a little drama playing out. The horses are still, but you can imagine them galloping. And that huge ball, what’s the story there? The surface has a soft texture, like old paper. It makes me think about how much history is held in photographs like this, fragments of lives we’ll never know. It reminds me a little of Gerhard Richter’s blurred photos, in the way it creates a sense of looking back, trying to grasp something that’s just out of reach. Art is all about embracing these blurry edges, isn't it? The questions are often more interesting than the answers.

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