Acht en een halve maand oude baby Klaas Kleiterp in een box, vermoedelijk in Malang 1920 - 1921

This photograph captures eight and a half month old Klaas Kleiterp, likely in Malang, sometime in the early 20th century. I'm thinking about how photography, like painting, freezes a moment, but here, it’s a real, lived one. I imagine the artist, maybe a family member, carefully framing this shot, wanting to capture the pure, unadulterated joy on Klaas’s face. There’s a spontaneity here, a fleeting expression that could only be caught in a split second. The monochrome palette gives it a timeless feel, the soft light caressing the baby’s skin, highlighting the texture of the fabric and the simple bars of the crib. It reminds me of early modernist works where artists were experimenting with capturing light and form. There is an intimacy about the photograph, an ongoing conversation and exchange of ideas across time, inspiring creativity through light and form.