Portret van een kleuter en een baby, zittend in een kinderwagen 1900 - 1940

This small photograph shows two young children in a pram, and was made by Johannes Gerard Middendorp. The sepia tone gives the image a kind of gentle, aged feel. I notice that the baby’s bonnet is rendered with such incredible clarity. It makes me wonder how long it took to capture the detail, and what kind of relationship the photographer had with his subjects. Were they still and cooperative or did they wriggle and squirm? I can almost feel the texture of the lace, the crisp cotton. This tactile quality is set against the soft blur of the background, throwing the children into sharp relief. It feels connected to the work of someone like Thomas Ruff, who also explores the idea of portraiture through the medium of photography. Both artists seem interested in the way we document and remember people. It leaves me thinking about the fleeting nature of time and how we try to hold onto memories through art.