Ondine 1950

Frederick Sommer made this gelatin silver print, ‘Ondine’, sometime in the 20th century. It’s all in shades of grey: greige, really. I can imagine Sommer carefully setting up this shot in his studio. What’s so striking is the surreal quality of the image. A dismembered doll's limb is isolated against a weathered wooden surface, evoking a sense of uncanny beauty and decay. It’s as if the fragment holds a story, a forgotten narrative. Sommer was a master of composition, using light and shadow to create depth and texture. The texture is amazing, isn’t it? Look at the way the grainy surface of the wood contrasts with the smooth, almost porcelain-like skin of the doll. This tactile quality invites us to reach out and touch, to feel the history embedded in these objects. Sommer’s work reminds us that art is not just about what we see, but how we see.