Vier kinderen en hun moeder 1945 - 1947

This photograph, Vier kinderen en hun moeder, of 'Four Children and their Mother', was taken sometime in the past by Anefo. It's a scene full of everyday life in black and white, a palette that immediately makes me think about documenting a process. Look at how the light falls, creating subtle textures and shadows on the children’s clothes. The boy on the bottom bunk playing the clarinet; I'm drawn to the contrast between the soft textures and that shiny black clarinet, this long, cylindrical shape. This one figure becomes the focal point, his musical act anchoring the rest of his family, who are sitting, watching. This image reminds me of the work of Helen Levitt, who captured similar intimate scenes of daily life in New York City. Like Levitt, Anefo finds beauty in the mundane, reminding us that art is not just about grand gestures but also about the quiet moments that make up our lives. It's a testament to the power of art to transform the ordinary into something extraordinary.