Vier meisjes van Schule Schloss Salem in een internaatskamer c. 1929

Curator: A rather still scene, wouldn’t you say? Almost like a held breath in a time capsule. Editor: Indeed. I find myself immediately drawn to the light in this photograph—the way it softens everything, creating an almost dreamlike quality. There’s something deeply introspective about it. Curator: That's certainly Löher's signature touch, imbuing reality with such soft focus. This gelatin silver print, taken circa 1929, is entitled "Four Girls of Schule Schloss Salem in a Boarding Room". It’s a lovely example of the pictorialist style meeting the very practicalities of genre painting. Editor: Genre-painting indeed. But I wonder, is there something symbolic about their gestures? One’s looking up at what seems to be a bird cage near the window, others are occupied by reading or handicrafts… There's this tangible sense of quiet restraint mixed with burgeoning curiosity. Curator: It resonates, doesn't it? Almost an anticipation hanging in the air. Given that Salem was a progressive boarding school for its time, this photograph could capture both their domestic education, their ‘womanly’ pursuits, and intellectual openings offered by modernity. Editor: Yes! I see now, the composition seems arranged, but if one pays close attention there's this casual quality within a controlled environment... a careful negotiation that makes it subtly compelling. Those potted flowers! Are they purely decorative or could they speak of an embrace of burgeoning feminine agency? Curator: The flowers do add a vibrant energy to what could be perceived as mere domesticity, reflecting subtle intellectual flourishing amid constraint. It speaks to the complexities of these girls' formative environment. The subdued palette works brilliantly, allowing these symbolic motifs to truly sing! Editor: Absolutely, there's such an evocative, lasting power! I keep finding myself drawn to the visual metaphor between that slightly unkempt bouquet and the blossoming minds within the room! Curator: A fleeting frozen moment – so beautifully captured by Löher – indeed leaves one contemplative long after viewing it.