Vrouwen bezig met aanrijgen van tabaksbladeren in een droogschuur op Sumatra c. 1900 - 1915

This photograph by Carl J. Kleingrothe shows women stringing tobacco leaves in a drying shed in Sumatra. Look at how the light filters through the open structure, creating a sort of rhythm with the vertical supports and the horizontal rows of drying tobacco. You can almost feel the air moving, the scent of the drying leaves, and the quiet hum of labor. The texture of the photograph itself adds to this— the graininess, the way the light and shadow play across the surface, it is a record of a moment in time, capturing a specific place and the people who inhabit it. It’s like the photographic equivalent of a gestural brushstroke, each element contributing to the overall mood. The women are arranged in a long line. Each figure is distinct, each involved in their own task, yet together they form a cohesive whole. The image suggests an endlessness that I find compelling. Art's like that—it can be both a record and an invitation, a glimpse into the past and a prompt for the future. Like the images of the Bechers, Kleingrothe's approach is systematic and cool, yet the humanity of his subject matter shines through.