Twee foto's van de winnende roeiboot van Nereus op de Varsity en koningin Wilhelmina in Amsterdam Possibly 1924 - 1927

Hendrik Herman van den Berg took these two photos of the winning Nereus rowing boat and Queen Wilhelmina in Amsterdam; both are silvery monochrome prints. Look closely and you will see the composition itself tells a story. The top image is full of light, the rowers in their boat, surrounded by water, are depicted horizontally. The second image, of Queen Wilhelmina, is darker and shot from above, and is positioned on its side. Look at that stark contrast, which perhaps speaks of the differences in Dutch Society at that time. Consider the material quality. Here, the flatness of photography emphasizes the two-dimensional nature of image-making, while subtly suggesting the atmosphere. The very act of framing and capturing a moment becomes a way of abstracting it, turning it into something new. Much like the photo collages of Hannah Hoch, there is an echo here of the way in which photography can re-order our perceptions. Rather than aiming for some kind of objective realism, it embraces ambiguity. We are invited to reflect on our interpretation.