Jonge Surinaamse vrouw met een fles op het hoofd 1900 - 1910

This is Eugen Klein’s photograph, a small silver gelatin print, of a young Surinamese woman balancing a bottle on her head. It's a striking image, capturing a moment of skill and grace. What's fascinating is how Klein uses the monochromatic palette to emphasize texture and form. Look at the way the light catches the fabric of her headdress, the subtle gradations creating depth and volume. The bottle itself becomes an almost absurd extension of her body. It makes you wonder about the story behind the image, the relationship between the photographer and the subject. There's a sense of performance here, of constructing an image for the camera, which reminds me of the work of Seydou Keïta, who also explored portraiture as a collaborative process. Ultimately, this photograph invites us to consider the complexities of representation, the power dynamics at play, and the enduring allure of the human form.