Buitensocieteit Het Park 1900 - 1905

Eugen Klein made this photograph called ‘Buitensocieteit Het Park’ at an unknown date. It's a small gelatin silver print, a window onto another world. Look at the way the light filters through the palm trees. It's all about layers, isn't it? The fronds almost seem to dance. It reminds me of trying to capture a fleeting moment in paint, when you’re working en plein air, trying to get the light just so. It's never quite there, but that's the beauty of it, the trying. The greyscale has a nostalgic feel, it's like a memory, slightly faded but still vivid. Notice the small figures dotted around, they give a sense of scale, but they also add a narrative element, like a stage set for a play. There’s something about the image that reminds me of Atget. Both Klein and Atget had a knack for capturing the poetry of the everyday. It's a reminder that art is all about conversation, building on what came before, adding your own voice to the mix. There are no easy answers in art, just questions.