Insteekalbum met foto's van gezinsleden van Hendrik Herman van den Berg, waaronder zijn vrouw Caroline en hun kinderen Carel en Frank 1918

Hendrik Herman van den Berg made this photo album in 1918 with photos of his family. The simple color palette, mostly grays and blacks, lends a somber tone, like a faded memory. The cover has this small picture of a sailboat, bordered with delicate, almost lace-like patterns. It’s as if each tiny stitch of the border is a moment captured, a detail lovingly rendered. The boat itself is a study in contrasts, dark sail against the shimmering water, a journey into the unknown. The texture of the cover looks almost like rough paper, grounding the fanciful image. That handwritten date, “1918,” scrawled with what looks like white ink, adds such a personal touch. It's a reminder that art-making is often just about marking time, making a record, a way to say "I was here, and this is what I saw." I'm reminded of Hilma af Klint, who also did very personal work in this period, a little bit removed from the public eye. Art isn't always about grand statements; sometimes, it’s about these quiet, intimate gestures.