Drie portretten van jonge vrouwen 1900 - 1930

Here, in an undated photograph by Rotary Photo, we see three young women presented side-by-side. The choice of a consistent color palette—ranging from delicate pinks to deeper mauves—creates a sense of harmony, and really pulls you in, doesn't it? Each portrait is framed in a geometric shape that seems to cut into the surrounding page. In the central portrait, notice the way the color saturates everything, lending a dreamlike, almost surreal quality to the image. The hues are dense but also softened. It's easy to imagine that this photo might have been originally black and white, with color added later to tint it and give it a new feel. The artist here is kind of like Gerhard Richter, who blurred the lines between painting and photography. Ultimately, this piece asks us to consider the ways that photography is an ongoing exploration of representation, memory, and of course, color.