Groepsportret van drie mannen en vier vrouwen in klederdracht 1889 - 1925

This photograph of three men and four women in traditional costume was created by Josephus Hendrikus Petrus Coppens. It’s a tonal image, sepia, with a slight aged quality, which brings to mind the question of process and what it means to be a ‘maker’. The group is arranged in two rows, seated and standing, and there’s something about the texture of the image that gives it a painterly quality, almost like a lithograph, an image built up through layers. It’s not just a snapshot; there is a stillness to it, a constructed sense of formality. Look at the faces, the way the light catches the cheekbones, and the details in the clothing. These people seem very real, caught between wanting to present themselves in the best light, and being themselves. Their expressions and their clothes speak of a particular time and place. It reminds me of the formal group portraits of Thomas Ruff, but also, the more intimate portraits of Rineke Dijkstra. Both artists are interested in the human condition. This image feels connected to that exploration.