Groepsportret van kinderen met eenden en poes 1900 - 1930

This photograph, made by Richard Tepe, features a group of children with ducks and a cat. I think it's held together by this muted, almost melancholic palette, like it's been washed in sepia tones. Look how the light catches the boy’s cap and the soft down of the duck he’s holding. It’s not just about recording a moment, but about the feel of that moment - the quietness, the stillness. The texture in the image is unreal, from the woodgrain of the door to the children’s clothes. There’s something about that grainy texture that almost feels like you could touch it. There’s a closeness to the everyday you see here which reminds me of the work of Dutch Masters like Vermeer, particularly in its ability to make something luminous out of the mundane. It is the texture and tone that is so very compelling, and allows us to find familiarity across the years.