Portret van een zittende baby in witte jurk 1889 - 1925

This is a photograph by Josephus Hendrikus Petrus Coppens, showing a seated baby in a white dress. It’s one of those sepia toned things, which right away makes me think about memory, how photos can make a memory so official. The tones have faded, like an old bruise, but the baby’s face is so present, it’s staring right at us, a little frown, like it’s already seen too much. And those shoes! The tiny shoes poking out from under the dress, they’re like a secret. I love that the picture is so small, it feels like a stolen moment, a private thought. It reminds me of those old daguerreotypes, where people look so serious, like they’re posing for eternity. Maybe Coppens was thinking about that too, the weight of time, the fleetingness of childhood. It’s kind of like a painting, you know, you start with one idea, but the materials take over, and the thing becomes something else entirely.