Portret van Wilhelmina van Zijll de Jong en Henriëtte van Bergen, Londen 1932 - 1936

This photograph shows Wilhelmina van Zijll de Jong and Henriëtte van Bergen in London. I love how the anonymous photographer captured this moment, it’s all about seeing the world and trying to make sense of it. The texture of the black and white is soft, but also kind of grainy, like a memory trying to hold onto detail. It’s the sort of image that you can project all sorts of narratives on to, like you might with a painting. It’s all about what you do with it, after the fact, that counts. Look at the fuzzy, serrated edge of the print. That's not just a border; it's a frame that sets the scene. It’s where the photograph meets the world. There's a bit of Gerhard Richter in the aesthetic of the blurred image, but also a hint of Cindy Sherman in the staged artifice of the scene. Art is like a conversation, an ongoing exchange. It is never really finished, you just have to throw your hat in the ring and see what happens.