Twee spelende kinderen before 1896

Curator: Here, we have "Twee spelende kinderen," or "Two Playing Children," a gelatin silver print from before 1896 by Joseph De Smet. Editor: There’s an instant intimacy to this piece. It’s small, captured within the leaves of a book, and offers such a casual, everyday moment. Curator: De Smet primarily worked with photography and prints, and was recognized for his ability to capture seemingly spontaneous moments. Look closely at the composition; it evokes a genre painting more than a formal portrait, doesn’t it? Editor: Absolutely. It reminds us that the making of images has never been neutral. Silver gelatin prints—requiring a whole set of skills, resources, and materials. Think about what it meant to produce photography for a mass audience. It places art firmly within systems of production and consumption, making it very real, almost touchable, in contrast to what one usually associates with those times. Curator: I appreciate that point; the materiality of art isn’t always something viewers consider! But speaking from an artist's perspective, it almost fades away because I get so taken by the humanity of it. Editor: What do you mean? Curator: The energy between the children! Look at her stitching while he playfully messes around on top of the library cabinets! There is this implied sense of love and connection. They seem utterly un-self-conscious, lost in play. Editor: It is beautiful. The interplay of light and shadow almost obscures them in a domestic setting, yet that enhances the intimacy, framing these people in an environment crafted and consumed. Even this photo being published here is important in this consideration. Curator: Ultimately, De Smet gives us an honest peek into a moment of uncomplicated childhood, elevated only by our current awareness of the cultural production of such an image, really a testament to art, both capturing something pure while also adding his perspective. Editor: Indeed, seeing art both as capturing reality and shaped by materiality allows a more considered way of perceiving what we now have right in front of our eyes.