Theodoor Brouwers op de Surinamerivier 1913 - 1930

This photograph, "Theodoor Brouwers op de Surinamerivier", comes to us anonymously, captured on some kind of film. It's this doubling of the image that really catches my eye. Almost like a before and after, but of what? There's a starkness to the greyscale, a real feeling of distance and movement. Look how the water is almost a character of its own, those rippling lines speaking to a process of reflection. The photograph embraces simplicity. It’s not trying to be anything other than what it is, which is actually very freeing. The mood that’s evoked is everything. Thinking about other artists, I'm reminded of Gerhard Richter's blurry paintings, where the act of seeing becomes as important as what's being seen. Art isn't just about answers; it’s about the questions it makes us ask.