Portret van Corry Mak van Waay-Zulver bij de doop van het schip Sunetta Possibly 1934

This small, black and white photograph captures Corry Mak van Waay-Zulver at the ship Sunetta's christening. It's interesting how the anonymous photographer used light and shadow to define her form, and how the composition is anchored by the dial of the weighing scales behind her. It's so matter-of-fact. The moment is framed by the slightly blurry, scalloped edge. The texture of her fur stole looks so tactile. It is offset by the smoothness of her hat, and the delicate, almost chaotic, bouquet of flowers she holds. The photograph is a small, intimate window into a specific moment. The high contrast and sharp focus give the image a clarity that feels both immediate and distant, like a half-remembered dream. It reminds me a little of the work of Helen van Meene, or even some early August Sander portraits. What I think they share is a kind of unaffected, unassuming quality, which lets the subject be themselves. It's a lovely slice of life.