Gezelschap bij het besneeuwde huis van de familie Cheetham in Rusland 1904

This photograph was taken by Joseph Cheetham, and it depicts a snow-covered house in Russia, probably in 1904. Imagine Cheetham, bundled up against the cold, fiddling with his camera, trying to capture this scene. I wonder what it was like, the cold, the light, the way the snow muffled sound. It’s funny, isn’t it? How something so still can feel so alive with the memory of a moment. I’m so curious about the texture of the snow, the muted tones, the way the light barely reflects off everything. There's a whole family gathered there, what were they doing? Artists are always in conversation, even across time and medium. Cheetham's photograph reminds me of the paintings of Alex Katz, the way he captures everyday scenes with such quiet intensity. In a way, both Cheetham and Katz encourage us to pause, to look, and to find beauty in the ordinary.