Untitled (girl with dolls at doorway to playhouse) after 1940

This vintage black and white photograph shows a girl with dolls at the doorway to a playhouse. I see a little girl standing in the doorway of her playhouse, clutching her doll. The dolls are arranged around her, with a tree and its branches spreading out behind it. I wonder what she was thinking as she posed for this photograph? Was she aware of the performative aspect? The photo itself is a historical artifact, a time capsule from a bygone era. It reminds me of the work of other photographers and painters who have explored similar themes of childhood, identity, and domesticity. I'm thinking of artists like Sally Mann, who is known for her photographs of her own children, and also Alice Neel, who painted portraits of children with a keen sense of psychological insight. It’s nice to imagine all these artists and creators in conversation across time, influencing and inspiring one another's creativity.