Studioportret met klein kindje op een stoel 1915

This sepia photograph shows a young child on a fancy chair and was taken by Willem Gerhardus Kuijer. I am wondering, was the child happy to be sitting there, or was he squirming like kids do? I know I would be! The whole scene has a quiet, serious tone. You know, when I look at this kid, I think about all the portraits I've seen, all those faces staring back at us from history. Each one is just trying to make sense of the world, just like me, just like you. I imagine Kuijer adjusting his camera, making sure the light was just right, maybe coaxing a smile from the little sitter. And I bet he was thinking about the future, about how this moment, this image, would last way longer than either of them. Thinking about how his work fits into the grand tradition of image making. Every artist hopes their work sparks something in others. Maybe it's a feeling, a question, or just a moment of connection. So, let’s keep the conversation going.