Familieportret in de huiskamer before 1894

Hendrik Herman van den Berg captured this image of a family portrait in their living room, using magnesium light, sometime before his death in 1944. Consider the time in which van den Berg lived: in the early 20th century, during a period marked by significant social and political upheaval, including both World Wars. These conflicts deeply affected personal and collective identities. The photograph presents a formal arrangement of family members, typical of the era, yet there’s an undeniable tension beneath the surface. The subjects are dressed in their finest clothes, yet their expressions are hard to read. The use of magnesium light, while innovative for its time, casts an eerie glow, altering our perception of the subjects. It begs us to consider how the family wished to be seen versus the realities they lived. The photograph isn’t merely a snapshot; it’s a constructed narrative, carefully composed, and imbued with the complexities of identity, representation, and the silent histories that shape our understanding of family.