Portret van een onbekende jongen gekleed in een pak voor de eerste heilige communie c. 1892 - 1930

This photograph of a boy dressed for his first holy communion was taken by Cornelis Leenheer Jr. in Amsterdam. It’s such a formal affair, his expression unreadable, the staging precise. I wonder, what was it like to be Leenheer setting up these shots? How did he compose the image? What was he thinking when he arranged the boy next to the ornate chair, under the painted backdrop? Did he try to get him to smile? The gray tones capture the mood of the moment, freezing it in time. And it’s fascinating, because what he has done here has had a ripple effect down to this very moment, where we are now looking at it. It's as if Leenheer’s decisions are still vibrating in the air. We can see his choices, his moves, even though he isn’t here. It makes you think about how much paintings, and photographs, are like conversations across time. It’s inspiring, and maybe that's what all art really is – just one big, ongoing conversation.