Vrouwen en kinderen spelen met tollen in Zemenon before 1910

This is an old photograph by Frédéric Boissonnas, it’s printed in a book, probably around the turn of the last century. I imagine Boissonnas saw this circle of kids playing with spinning tops in Zemenon and stopped in his tracks. It must have been a quiet day, the light is soft and even. I bet he composed his shot carefully, he probably knew that the circle was a very powerful pictorial device. It encloses the figures, making them feel connected to each other. I imagine he developed the film in his hotel room, a make-shift darkroom. It feels like a universal scene, kids playing a game, nothing much has changed. This reminds me of other artists who documented daily life, capturing the beauty of ordinary moments. He would have known all about those artists, he’s in conversation with them. Making art can be like that, a way of speaking to others across time.