Gezelschap poseert na de jacht Possibly 1925

Hendrik Herman van den Berg made this photograph, "Gezelschap poseert na de jacht," which translates to "Group posing after the hunt." It’s a black and white photo, so the tonal range is key to how we see, isn't it? I’m drawn to the way the figures are arranged and how their clothing and hats create this kind of visual rhythm, like a musical score. I keep returning to the young boy on the left of the frame and I see that in his stance, holding the spoils of the hunt, there is a contrast to the older men that suggests the passing of a way of life and a comment on the relationship between generations. This reminds me a lot of August Sander, who took photographs of people and their jobs in Germany at the start of the 20th Century. With Sander too, we see a similar interest in recording a particular moment in time. It makes you wonder, doesn’t it? What is the role of art in preserving memory?