Leerlingen van Schule Schloss Salem tijdens een dramatische uitvoering c. 1929

This photograph shows pupils from Schule Schloss Salem in the midst of a dramatic performance. The anonymous photographer captured a moment in time, but in doing so, they've also created a timeless image. The sepia tone gives the photograph a hazy, dreamlike quality. It's an even tonality, so that you notice that the true subject of the piece is the action between the three figures. The eye is drawn to the one in the centre, the position of the bow suggesting that his is the most difficult role. Looking at the architecture in the background, I'm reminded of the way history seeps into everything, shaping our sense of self. There's a dialogue happening here, between past and present, performance and reality. This photograph invites us to consider how we construct meaning, not only through art, but also through the stories we tell ourselves. Like the paintings of Balthus, there is a feeling of uncertainty. We are left to ask what it all means.