Marktplein met ossen en karren te Johannesburg 1896

James F. Goch captured this photograph, ‘Marktplein met ossen en karren te Johannesburg’, the Johannesburg market with oxen and carts. At first glance, the eye is met with a dense, almost textural spread of oxen. The composition is densely packed, with the animals arranged in a way that obscures much of the background, creating a unified mass. The photograph is dominated by horizontal lines formed by the backs of the oxen, and the carts, while the vertical forms of the drivers create a rhythmic pattern. The sepia tone imbues the scene with a sense of historical distance, reinforcing the photograph’s documentary quality. The use of light is subtle, with soft shadows that model the forms without creating stark contrasts. This even lighting contributes to the image’s overall sense of balance and order. This image serves as a historical document, capturing a moment in time. The formal elements of composition, light, and tonality work together to convey a sense of the past. Yet, the image does not offer any singular meaning but rather reflects the complex, multifaceted nature of history.