Twee vrouwen voor een huis, waarvan er één aardappels schilt before 1903

L.L. Kleintjes made this small photo of two women outside a house, one peeling potatoes. I think about the artist in their darkroom, seeing the image emerge in the developing tray, a moment frozen in time. The women are caught in a quiet, domestic moment. The act of peeling potatoes might seem mundane, but there’s a rhythm to it. I think of the artist considering the light, the texture of the walls, and the way the figures inhabit the space. The high contrast gives it an intense feel. It reminds me a bit of the Dutch Masters, like Vermeer, who found beauty in everyday scenes. Kleintjes, like those painters, is transforming the ordinary into something timeless. It is a conversation across time, where artists build on what has come before, finding their own way to express something profound in the process.