Portret van Isabel Wachenheimer, bedoeld als eerste tekenen van leven aan Leo Blumensohn, 25 september 1945 in Davos Possibly 1945 - 1949

This small black and white portrait of Isabel Wachenheimer was made in Davos, Switzerland, in 1945, to signal to Leo Blumensohn that she was alive. You know, photography is another way of painting with light, and the darks and lights in this image are the dominant gestures. It makes you wonder what the photographer was thinking, hoping to convey through Isabel’s gaze. It’s meant to reassure, but it’s also such a direct and sober image. What was it like for Isabel to sit for this portrait, knowing it was destined to carry such heavy cargo? The texture of the backdrop and the soft gradations in her hair create a sense of depth, while her direct gaze suggests an intention, or message, of resilience. This image is part of a much larger conversation, a historical echo of how art is often created in response to life. Photography, like painting, is an embodied expression. It embraces uncertainty, because seeing is never fixed. We are all in an ongoing exchange of ideas.