Portret van een keukenmedewerker en een man in uniform 1941 - 1945

This small, black and white photograph shows us a couple of guys, maybe in the early to mid twentieth century, and it's just so direct, like a quick sketch. What gets me is the texture. It's not the kind of smooth surface you get with a modern digital print. Instead you can see the grain of the paper and the way the light hits it. This texture gives the whole image this great kind of tactile quality, like you could almost feel the history in it. The way the light and dark areas come together. The shadows around their feet, or the subtle gradients in their clothes, it creates a mood. It reminds me a little of the photographs of August Sander, a similar focus on everyday people. But here it's not posed, there is such an informal tone, which invites multiple interpretations. Like art is an ongoing conversation, this photograph invites us to join in and bring our own stories.