Hoe gaat het met je? 1900 - 1920

Editor: This photograph, a gelatin-silver print called "Hoe gaat het met je?"—which translates to "How are you?"—by François Berrier den Boer, likely dates between 1900 and 1920. I find it so sweet—almost like a sentimental postcard. What do you see in it? Curator: The seemingly simple genre scene contains a wealth of cultural information. The children's clothing immediately signifies a rural, probably Dutch, setting. The wooden shoes, the girl’s headscarf – these aren't just quaint details. They are signifiers of identity, connecting them to a specific place and way of life, at a time when such traditions were being documented, romanticized even, through photography. Do you think the photographer captured their real handshake, or did they pose for the photo? Editor: That's a great point about the deliberate romanticization. Knowing that makes me look at it differently now. The handshake… it feels genuine but staged at the same time? Curator: The photograph participates in creating a shared cultural memory. How interesting that the question "How are you?" has survived in the artwork's title, pointing at the possibility that what we are seeing is more about preserving a moment than about two real people. What does the handshake, which seals the greeting, signify for you? Editor: To me, the handshake feels almost symbolic, like an understanding between the generations, a connection to their roots, but with the advent of the print, a transition between those traditional symbols and a modern medium. Curator: Exactly! The photograph freezes a gesture of social interaction, turning it into a timeless image. Editor: That’s a fascinating idea, I am so glad to better understand the rich, symbolic tradition alive in this piece. Curator: Indeed. This reminds us that even seemingly simple images can hold layers of meaning, revealing deeper cultural narratives.