Man naast een bepakte ezel 1865 - 1888

Curator: This sepia-toned photograph, held here at the Rijksmuseum, is titled "Man naast een bepakte ezel". It's attributed to Giorgio Sommer and dates from sometime between 1865 and 1888. Editor: The overall feeling I get is wistful. Like a faded memory pressed between the pages of a very old book, muted like a lost dream. Curator: Precisely! Consider how the image captures not just the subject – a man with his laden donkey – but the very textures of their lives. Look at the weave of the basket and the details on the donkey's harness. Notice too the items being transported, possibly fruit. Editor: And that simple scale hanging from the basket – highlighting the tools of their trade. It's all so humble. Curator: There’s something about the materials themselves that speaks volumes. It's more than just a depiction; it's an encapsulation of labour and daily sustenance. These elements—basket weaving, the donkey's bridle—they’re made by someone, passed down maybe. This feels real and lived-in. Editor: And this "realness" that the work is so evocative of, this feeling it elicits… that simple life may have been so much richer than it appears, grounded in tangible effort and intimate relationships. It's a gentle reminder. Curator: Precisely. This is, at its heart, a beautiful reflection on simple coexistence and the weight we carry – both literally and figuratively. And Sommer captured that with such delicate grace. Editor: A silent testament indeed to the quiet dignity of labor. I like how this faded medium reminds me to question modern processes—to ask about the materials in our lives, who made them, and how we value their work.