Verwerken van de tabak 1925 - 1928

This small black and white photograph, 'Verwerken van de tabak', shows a group of people processing tobacco. It's by an anonymous artist, and that anonymity makes me think about artmaking as a collective process. There's a beautiful texture to the image – the way the light catches on the leaves, the rough-hewn logs of the building behind the workers. Look closely at the faces, some blurred, some caught in sharp detail. Each one tells a story, or maybe hints at one. The image is a mosaic of different tones, from the dark foliage to the bright, sunlit ground. It’s all about how the light falls and the contrasts it creates. Think about someone like Helen Levitt, who captured the everyday life of New York City with such intimacy. Like Levitt, this anonymous photographer has given us a glimpse into a world, a moment in time, preserved. Art isn't just about the individual genius; it's about seeing and sharing.