Groepsportret met Go, Dolph en Jan Kessler bij het vertrek met de trein after 1903

Geldolph Adriaan Kessler made this photograph called Groepsportret met Go, Dolph en Jan Kessler bij het vertrek met de trein, in, well, who knows when. The sepia tone, like a memory fading at the edges, pulls us back in time. It’s like looking through an old photo album where the faces seem familiar yet distant. The realness of this picture is in the group of figures gathered by the train. They’re all dressed in their turn-of-the-century best, ready for a journey into the unknown, where each detail matters, from the straw hats to the long coats, which creates a sense of anticipation. Look at how their poses suggest a mix of excitement and a touch of melancholy, like they’re not quite ready to say goodbye. It’s this humanity and imperfection that makes the photograph so compelling. It reminds me of paintings by Bonnard. Both use soft tones and casual compositions to capture a similar sense of intimacy and fleeting moments. You know, art isn’t always about perfect representation; it’s about feeling something real.