Marba en Eckart Titzenthaler, kinderen van de fotograaf, op een erf met kippen en eenden 1918 - 1919

Waldemar Titzenthaler captured his children, Marba and Eckart, amongst chickens and ducks in a photo of modest scale. Look at the way the light and shadow create such a specific mood, an ordinary day elevated through composition and tone. The texture of the weathered wood fence in the background contrasts with the softness of the children's clothes and the downy feathers of the birds. The limited tonal range, from near-white to dark grey, emphasizes form and texture, distilling the scene to its essential elements. Notice the chicken coop, a dark portal, and how Eckart sits perched on top, removed and absorbed in his own thoughts. The light falling on Marba as she reaches out to feed the ducks feels symbolic. This everyday domestic scene reminds me of Édouard Vuillard's intimate interiors, moments captured with a similar sensitivity. It’s this ability to see beauty in the mundane that really makes Titzenthaler’s work resonate.