Familie van Thea 1933 - 1944

This is a page from a photo album, likely constructed in the early to mid-20th century, by an anonymous photographer, who assembled it with care. The monochrome palette gives a nostalgic feel. The images, arranged like tiles, create a visual narrative, inviting us to piece together stories of “Thea's Family”. I'm struck by how the texture of the page contrasts with the crispness of the photos. Each image is a little window into a different moment: kids at the beach, a musical performance, group portraits. I keep coming back to the lower left image of a young man with a violin behind a seated woman at a piano. The tonal range is so rich, from the deep shadows of the piano to the soft light on their faces. Thinking about Gerhard Richter’s photo paintings, I’m reminded that art isn't always about crystal-clear representation, it's about the feeling, the mood, the fragment of a memory. This album page is a reminder that art thrives on ambiguity, leaving space for our own stories to fill the gaps.