Gezelschap rondom de piano before 1905

Guillaume Oury made this photograph "Gezelschap rondom de piano" with light and chemistry, freezing a moment of music and social gathering. I wonder what it was like to be Oury, setting up the shot, carefully arranging the subjects around the piano. Was there laughter, a bit of nervousness, or just the quiet anticipation of capturing a perfect scene? The details are subtle, aren’t they? The way the light catches the curve of a dress, the focus on the white figure and the contrast with the dark background. There’s a real sense of depth. It reminds me a bit of Manet, especially how he played with light and form. Oury, like many artists, seems to be in conversation with the painters of his time, translating painterly ideas into the language of photography. It is an exchange of ideas, of seeing, that transcends medium.