Groepsportret van het keukenpersoneel 1941 - 1945

This silver gelatin print, titled "Group Portrait of the Kitchen Staff," is a small, intimate capture by an anonymous artist. Look how the tonal range creates a sense of depth; the shades of grey sculpt the figures, bringing them forward. See the way the light glances across their faces, each with a unique expression frozen in time. It reminds me that photography is a conversation, a collaboration between the photographer and the subject, even when the photographer is unknown. The photograph, with its slightly torn edges and silvering, is a physical object, an artifact, and its textures speak to the layers of history it carries. It makes me think of artists like Gerhard Richter, who use photography as source material, blurring and abstracting the image to question its truth. Like Richter, this work challenges our perception, reminding us that art, even in its simplest form, invites ambiguity and multiple interpretations.