Portret van Marba en Eckart Titzenthaler, kinderen van de fotograaf Possibly 1917

Waldemar Titzenthaler made this photograph of his children Marba and Eckart, using light and shadow like paint. I love the soft grays and whites here; it feels gentle, like a memory. I wonder what it was like for the artist to capture such a tender moment with his kids. They must have been giggling and playing just before the photograph was taken! This photograph reminds me of other family portraits throughout art history, from Renaissance paintings to contemporary photographs. It's like artists across time are trying to freeze a moment, to hold onto something precious. And I think that urge to create a family portrait is still strong for artists today. Artists are always in conversation with each other, building on the ideas and techniques of the past. There is an ambiguity in the greyscale here. It embraces uncertainty, allowing for multiple interpretations. What does it make you feel?