Zijaanzicht van de tuin en woning van Willy Moos (Bellevue 62), vermoedelijk 1928, Hamburg 1928

This is an image of Willy Moos’ garden and home, taken by an anonymous photographer, likely in 1928 in Hamburg. It’s a black and white photograph, pretty small, mounted on a grey page in a photo album. I love this idea of someone capturing a little glimpse of a garden; someone’s private idyll made public. I wonder what the photographer was thinking as they looked through the viewfinder. The composition is interesting: In the lower image, the way the trees are framing the house, like a stage set. The darks and lights create a great sense of depth; so velvety. You can almost smell the cut grass! I love the presence of the benches in the garden. Were they ever occupied? Did Willy and his friends sit there and drink lemonade and discuss politics? It makes me think about other photographers like Atget, capturing similar scenes of everyday life. There’s a quiet beauty to the ordinary, and this photo reminds me of how artists across time are always looking, observing, and finding inspiration in the world around them.