Groepsportret van Dicky Baud, Henriëtte Wassink, Dootje, Wilhelmina en Johannes van Zijll de Jong in een tuin 1930 - 1935

This photographic print shows a family portrait, likely taken in the early twentieth century, although the artist is anonymous. What's amazing here is the way the photograph manages to capture a sense of intimacy and formality, all at once. Look at the composition – the subjects are posed, standing in a garden, but there’s a casualness to their arrangement. The light is soft, giving everything a slightly dreamy, timeless feel. The textures captured are incredible. You can almost feel the weight of the fabrics, the slight roughness of the garden wall behind them. And the tonal range in the photograph is really subtle. I can't help but think of August Sander's portraits, which also tried to capture a social landscape of a particular time. But unlike Sander, the photographer here remains unknown, which in a way, adds another layer of mystery and universality to the image. It reminds us that art is everywhere, in every corner of life.