Schoolkinderen 1900 - 1922

Robert Julius Boers made this stereoscopic print called Schoolkinderen, but we don't know exactly when, in which a line of children is marching along a tree-lined road. The tones in this photographic print lean heavily on light and dark, the values ranging from almost pure white to deep, inky black. This isn't color of course but it feels like a distilled essence of a place, a feeling. The texture of the print is smooth, almost like you could run your finger over it and feel the light bouncing off the surface. Look at the way the light filters through the trees, creating dappled shadows on the road. This reminds me of other artists such as Gerhard Richter, in his use of greyscale images to evoke memory and history. Boers captures a slice of life, a moment in time, with a quiet dignity. There's a certain poetry in its simplicity, inviting us to contemplate the passage of time and the enduring spirit of youth.