Drie groepsportretten van Willy en Loentje Onnen met de kinderen Uhlenbeck, Hilversum 1909 - 1912

Carolina (Loentje) Frederika Onnen made this family album page of three group portraits of the Onnen and Uhlenbeck families in Hilversum. These silvery gelatin prints show an intimate gathering—folks standing and sitting in front of their home. The light is dim, and the tones are muted sepia, lending the scene a melancholic air. I imagine Onnen carefully arranging her family and friends for each shot, trying to capture a sense of connection and belonging. It’s like she was painting with light and shadow, layering people and place to evoke a moment in time. Looking at these images, I think about how photography freezes a single instant while hinting at a larger narrative. I imagine the conversations, the laughter, and the shared experiences that bind these individuals together. The composition creates a sense of formal portraiture, but the setting suggests the intimacy of friendship and family. Artists are in an ongoing conversation across time, and this work makes me consider photography as a form of embodied expression. Onnen embraces ambiguity and uncertainty, allowing for multiple interpretations and meanings.