Isabel Wachenheimer met haar moeder Else Wachenheimer-Moos, het kindermeisje en drie onbekende vrouwen in de tuin en in de haven, augustus 1933, Hamburg 1933 - 1938

This page comes from a photo album made by the Wachenheimer family in Hamburg, in August 1933. It’s not a painting, but it’s full of the kind of choices a painter makes. Look how they arranged the photographs on the page. The three images form a kind of visual narrative, little moments of everyday life preserved in monochrome. The grainy texture of the black and white, the way the light and shadow play across the faces, it all feels so immediate, like you're right there with them. I'm drawn to the group portrait on the left. The figures are posed stiffly, but their eyes tell a different story. There's a mix of emotions there - tenderness, concern, maybe even a hint of fear. It’s a reminder that art isn’t just about aesthetics, it’s about capturing a feeling, a moment in time, and sharing it with others. It’s like a conversation between the past and the present, an invitation to reflect on our own lives and experiences. I think of Gerhard Richter’s series ‘Atlas’ which also makes use of found photos in a similar way.