Ons eerste kindje Possibly 1900 - 1919

Curator: This photograph, entitled "Ons eerste kindje" – "Our first child" – might date from the early 20th century, and it is attributed to G.C. Kooyker. What strikes you immediately? Editor: The stillness. An almost unsettling calm emanates from this small, recumbent form amidst all that lace and white fabric. It is imbued with a kind of hushed sacredness. Curator: Yes, I agree. White, of course, historically represents purity and innocence, so it reinforces cultural assumptions and social norms surrounding infancy. However, that lace is very interesting, especially given the social context for women labor. Who produced the work in the image? Editor: True. Lace has such potent connotations. Beyond status and wealth, it can signal tradition. Handed down through generations as a symbol of heritage but it also calls to mind the arduous labor involved in its creation and maintenance. Curator: Exactly. And who is to say about these floral displays as well, which can symbolize both fragility and hope. Editor: Very true. The baby appears nestled almost ritualistically. Flowers were included within cultural memory, to indicate either the solemnity of an event, as well as represent renewal, joy, even ephemeral mortality. It serves almost as a symbol in this early-stage life that the photo depicts. Curator: Do you suppose the photographer would want their viewers to examine it through that lense, or is there even any indication of this in Kooyker’s work? Editor: It would certainly make the piece stand out in contrast to many photography still lives within the medium itself. Curator: Yes, exactly. What a fascinating layering of cultural meaning, captured so simply. Thank you. Editor: A resonant image, indeed. The visual language it employs makes the seemingly quotidian utterly profound, I feel.