Groepsportret van drie kinderen met speelgoed c. 1900 - 1910

Jacobus Bollegraf made this photograph of three children sometime in the past. The lack of color really asks us to look at the ways that different values interact. Think of it like a painter laying down monochrome washes, building up darks and lights to create a sense of depth. The textures here are subtle but strong. See how the background fabric almost seems to ripple with a sense of depth, while the stone ground feels rough and uneven? The outfits are pretty great, too. Take the kid in the middle’s dress. You can almost feel the crispness of the fabric and the way the light catches on those frilly edges. The faces of these kids is everything. There’s a seriousness that’s a little heartbreaking, and I'm reminded of other artists, like Thomas Ruff, who push photography into uncanny places. This picture seems to capture something beyond just a likeness, a mood that lingers.