Portret van T.F. Oehler met zijn dochters en twee silhouetportretten Possibly 1938

This intriguing photograph presents T.F. Oehler with his daughters, alongside silhouette portraits in the manner of ‘Scherenschnitte’. These shadow portraits, popular since the 18th century, capture a person's likeness in profile, a stark contrast to the full, vibrant presence of the photograph. The silhouette, reduced to its essence, evokes memories of ancient shadow plays and the classical ideal of capturing the soul through outline. We see echoes of this in Greek vase painting, where figures are defined by their contours, conveying narrative and emotion. This reduction to form speaks to our collective fascination with immortality. The silhouette captures the ephemeral, a moment in time, and yet preserves it against the relentless march of time. Just as ancient Egyptians mummified their dead, we too seek to hold onto existence, using images to cheat mortality and provoke a powerful, subconscious connection to those who came before us. This search is cyclical: each age rediscovers the power of the image to preserve and remember.