Alphons Diepenbrock met echtgenoot en dochters c. 1895 - 1925

This photograph, by W.G. Hondius van den Broek, shows Alphons Diepenbrock, his wife, and daughters, and it’s all about seeing things in a new way. The image looks like a negative, but this just helps us focus on the process of looking, of how we perceive. The tonal range is quite narrow, moving from shades of grey. But this limited palette pushes us to consider the relationships between forms. It flattens and distorts and makes the scene feel unstable, dreamlike, even. Take, for instance, the seated figure, apparently Diepenbrock himself. Look how the line of his arm blends into the line of the bench, figure and ground becoming one. This photograph challenges our assumptions about realism. It reminds me of the work of Lisette Model, who pushed the limits of photography, playing with light, shadow, and perspective to get at something deeper, something more psychologically true. Both artists remind us that art is about asking questions, not providing answers.