Jongen met een mand op zijn schouder loopt een trap af before 1893

This black-and-white photograph shows a boy descending steps with a basket balanced on his shoulder. Lambert uses tonal variation and linear composition to draw us into the subject’s world. The strong diagonal of the staircase cuts across the frame, creating a dynamic, unstable space. The boy, positioned slightly off-center, adds a layer of tension. His bare feet suggest poverty, yet his gaze is direct, challenging the viewer. The texture of the basket contrasts with the smooth steps, highlighting Lambert’s attention to detail. Lambert seems to engage with semiotics through contrasting symbols: the basket, a signifier of labor and the boy’s gaze, a challenge to societal norms. The photograph destabilizes the traditional representation of childhood, inviting us to question the structural inequalities embedded in society. Ultimately, the power of this image lies in its formal simplicity and its ability to function as a cultural document, reflecting and questioning prevailing social conditions.