Portret van twee onbekende kinderen 1911 - 1914

This photograph of two unknown children was taken by Hieronymus David Fraenkel sometime around the turn of the century. You can see it was created in a studio by the backdrop and careful lighting, and printed on thick photographic paper. I’m curious about the moment this image captures. What was it like to be in that room as the photographer? What was it like for these children to stand still? The children in the photo seem caught between formality and their own inner worlds; a little serious. But who knows, maybe that was the style back then, right? Looking at this image, I wonder about the process of posing, the anticipation, and the click of the camera freezing a moment in time. It’s a bit like painting, capturing a likeness or an emotion with shades, light, and shadow. Artists are always in conversation, whether they know it or not. Photography allows for its own kind of brushstroke and its own form of expression. Each photograph is an ongoing exchange of ideas across time, hopefully inspiring us all!