Portret van Zus de Kock en Wilhelmina van Zijll de Jong 1931 - 1932

Editor: Here we have a gelatin-silver print, “Portret van Zus de Kock en Wilhelmina van Zijll de Jong” from between 1931 and 1932. The photograph has an intimate feel, almost like a snapshot from a family album, and their intertwined hands express a sense of friendship. How would you interpret this work, especially considering the historical context? Curator: Ah, yes, it’s a photograph brimming with stories. The close embrace, the gentle smiles… there’s a certain vulnerability here, isn’t there? Knowing this was taken in the early 1930s, as the shadow of global conflict started to lengthen, that vulnerability is amplified. These two women could be sisters, friends, or perhaps something more. It invites the question – who were they, really? And what was life like for them? The Art Deco styling, just barely clinging on by this point, also indicates where we are and the background these woman have, that they are comfortable, if not wealthy, bourgeois. Editor: It’s interesting you point that out. What I perceived as intimate, could easily be seen as defiant! Curator: Exactly! I wonder if the photographer understood this at the time? Did they realize they were capturing something beyond the surface? It's impossible to say, isn't it? Though I love this image! Look at the window or doorframe behind them— it almost forms a proscenium arch, turning an everyday scene into a quiet stage play, filled with implication! Editor: It makes you wonder about all the stories held within old photos like these. I guess in the end that is what makes it an invaluable, human snapshot! Curator: Precisely! It's a reminder that history isn't just grand narratives, it’s made of countless personal experiences. We create those grand narratives by combining each personal memory into a historical overview. Editor: Definitely something to consider when we’re looking at art that tries to speak to the grand narratives! Curator: And that, my friend, is the heart of art: the dialogue, the interpretation, the endless possibilities.