Schapen voor de prinsesjes 1945 - 1946

This photograph titled ‘Schapen voor de prinsesjes’ by Anefo, now at the Rijksmuseum, captures a moment in time with its grayscale palette. The approach to image-making feels documentary, prioritizing the scene itself over elaborate artistic flourishes. The material aspects of the photograph – its graininess and the stark contrast between light and shadow – add to the sense of immediacy. Look at the texture of the sheep's wool; it’s almost palpable despite the remove of the medium. This focus on texture, on the tangible, makes the scene feel real. You can almost feel the crispness of the air. And the way the light catches the edges of the figures, it creates a sense of depth, drawing us into the scene. The composition reminds me a little of the work of Garry Winogrand, who also captured the everyday with a similar kind of raw honesty. In the end, art is an ongoing conversation, a way of seeing and thinking about the world that is always evolving and changing.