Legerdag in 's-Gravenhage Possibly 1938

This anonymous photograph, Legerdag in 's-Gravenhage, now at the Rijksmuseum, presents us with a formal scene, yet something about its arrangement hints at a more dynamic process. The photo's materiality, its surface texture, speaks to the era in which it was made, and the black and white palette adds to the sense of removed reality. Look at the woman on the right, the dark fur stole draped around her body, the way it contrasts with the lace of her dress. There’s a tactile quality to this contrast. The image has a softness to it but also a clarity of form. Consider how the artist has captured a moment in time, how the subjects were posed, how the setting was arranged. When I look at this, I think of Diane Arbus, her ability to capture an unsettling scene, while not being afraid of the unconventional. It seems that artmaking is about embracing ambiguity, inviting multiple interpretations, and finding beauty in the process.