Portret van man (zittend, in uniform), kind en vrouw c. 1900 - 1920

This photographic portrait by G.C. Kooyker captures a family grouping, posed with care. I can imagine the artist trying to capture the right configuration. The dad sits, the child perches on his lap, and the mother leans in from behind. Everyone is arranged in a way to fit into the frame, and no one is cropped out! I wonder, what did the photographer say to get their subjects to pose? What did they think about? Did they smile at all? The tones are all in the brown family. See how the neutral backdrop brings the figures forward, but also unifies the composition. Then there’s this incredible painting of an Egyptian bird behind them, which looks almost like the backdrop is of a stage set. There's a beautiful and touching sense of capturing the human condition that links Kooyker to many portrait painters throughout time.