S.J.W. Jansen-Grothe in haar atelier aan de Jacob van Lennepkade 55 in Amsterdam Possibly 1903 - 1946

This photograph captures S.J.W. Jansen-Grothe in her studio on Jacob van Lennepkade, and was shot by Sigmund Löw sometime around the late 19th or early 20th century. I love how this image renders the artistic process visible. There’s something about black and white photography that emphasizes the beauty in mundane objects, like the jars and canvases that populate the studio space. Here, in Jansen-Grothe's studio, light isn't just light, it’s about the material of light, the surface it reveals. Notice how the light hits her palette, we can almost see each colour individually. It reminds me that art is always in conversation with other art. We see Jansen-Grothe not just as an artist, but as a woman immersed in her craft, surrounded by the tools and inspirations of her trade. It’s a quiet moment, but full of creative potential. This piece shows the studio as not only a place of work but also of inspiration and reflection. The images in the studio, are these Jansen-Grothe's creations or inspirations? It’s up to us to decide.