Groepsportret van drie onbekende mannen in een boot 1898 - 1910

This small photograph of three men in a boat was taken by Wilhelm Moonen. The sepia tones give the image a timeless quality, like a memory faded by the sun. The texture of the photograph itself is smooth, but the image captures the rough texture of the wooden boat and the men’s clothing. It is the texture of a moment caught in time, fixed in a particular tonal range. Look at the face of the man in the middle. His expression is unreadable, a blank canvas onto which we can project our own emotions. The photograph reminds me of the work of Thomas Demand, who recreates scenes from photographs using paper and cardboard. Both artists explore the relationship between reality and representation, questioning the truthfulness of images. Ultimately, this photograph is a reminder that art is an ongoing conversation, a dialogue between artists across time and space.