Groep mannen, vrouwen en kinderen bij een tafel achter een huis c. 1905 - 1907

Folkert Idzes de Jong's photograph captures a group of men, women, and children gathered around a table outside a house. I find myself wondering about the occasion, who these people are, and what the light was like on the day it was taken. The limited tonal range of the sepia tones creates a sense of harmony, enveloping the scene in a haze of soft browns. I imagine de Jong carefully composing the shot, arranging his subjects just so. The photograph is humble, domestic. I like how the composition is weighted to the left, how the eye is led through the garden before meeting each of the faces. You can really feel de Jong’s presence, and it’s lovely, but I want to grab a brush and add some color. I bet Johannes Vermeer would too, because what are we, as artists, if not in conversation with our peers? This photograph whispers stories of family, home, and a time now past.