Leerlingen van Schule Schloss Salem tijdens een dramatische uitvoering c. 1929

This small photograph captures students from Schule Schloss Salem during what looks like a dramatic performance. It makes me think about the artist behind the lens—maybe a teacher, or even one of the students, seizing a moment of youthful theatrics. You know, it's funny, when I look at photos like this, especially old ones, I think about how fleeting moments are and how cameras are like time machines. Everyone's trying on a role, posing in costumes, in front of an old building, maybe performing some scene from ancient history. Photographs aren’t really paintings but they have a lot in common. Think of Degas. He was obsessed with photography and his paintings echo the candid, off-kilter compositions that photography made possible. It makes you wonder about the anonymous photographer here; what were they thinking about when they captured this scene? Were they thinking about art?