Groepsportret van de familie Kessler aan een buitentafel tijdens een kopje koffie 1913

Geldolph Adriaan Kessler made this photograph, Groepsportret van de familie Kessler aan een buitentafel tijdens een kopje koffie, and though undated, it is an image seeped in time. With its grayscale palette, the photograph captures a scene of leisure and gathering; a seemingly casual moment that is very self-aware. I think about the surface quality here, how the tonal range captures both the light and the shadow. The clothing of the figures in the foreground is a marvel of pattern and texture. Look at the way the sunlight catches the weave in the lounger, the lace in the dresses, all in contrast to the density of the trees behind. The artist coaxes out every detail, building a rich tapestry of grays that offer depth and dimension. Photography is a process, like painting. It embraces the accidental and the unpredictable. Like with the work of John Szarkowski, we’re left to consider the way the image offers a chance to examine the world, not just to see it more clearly, but to think about what seeing actually means.