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

This small, anonymous photograph captures students from Schule Schloss Salem during a dramatic performance. I think about how the artist might have framed the shot, thinking about the light, the staging, and the narrative they wanted to capture. You can almost feel the textures of the rough stone wall in the background, and the way the light hits the white fabric. There is a feeling of uncertainty in the scene. Are the students in ancient Greek dress rehearsing a play? What are they thinking? What were their motivations? It looks theatrical, but maybe the drama is internal, too. I like to think about the conversation that's happening between the artist and the students, and the conversation that's happening between us and the photograph today. There's a sense of ongoing dialogue across time, a shared exploration of performance, identity, and representation.