Drie mannen aan een tafel, vermoedelijk in een directiekamer 1924

Here we have an undated photograph, probably taken with a large format camera, that gives us a glimpse of three men around a table, possibly in an office. What I find interesting about the piece is the tonal range, from almost pure white on the faces and the paper held by the central figure, to a heavy black in the table, the background and the suits. It's like the anonymous photographer is drawing with light, using the gradations to pull our attention to the expressions on the men's faces, the central figure clearly enjoying the document he holds, the others more circumspect. I wonder if the photographer was familiar with the work of someone like Erich Heckel, whose woodcuts employed similar deep contrasts to make an immediate impact. Art often feels like a game of telephone, ideas bouncing between generations and mediums, transforming as they go. Meaning is never fixed, it's always in motion, and this image is a great example of that.