Else Wachenheimer-Moos in de tuin met een hond, 1920-1935, Duitsland? c. 1920 - 1935

This small, monochrome photograph by familie Wachenheimer, likely taken somewhere in Germany between 1920 and 1935, captures a moment in time with a delicate touch. I’m thinking about the way the light falls softly, how the shadows suggest a quiet afternoon. I can almost feel the grass under my feet, hear the distant sounds of the city fading into the background. Look at the woman, her dress, and the dog, all rendered in subtle gradations of tone. The artist is thinking about so many things. There's a quiet confidence and calm in the picture. I bet the artist wanted to preserve a feeling, a mood. I bet she wanted to capture some kind of essence. The physicality of the medium here – the paper, the emulsion, the way the image is fixed – all of this contributes to its aura. It reminds me of Eugène Atget, another photographer who documented the beauty of everyday life. Artists learn from each other, building on the past to create something new. This feels very connected to that.