Vrouw en kind in een dorp in Griekenland before 1910

This vintage photograph of a woman and child in a Greek village was taken by Frédéric Boissonnas sometime between the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Looking at it I can't help but think about the conditions for women in Greece at this time, with the rise of industrial society and how that impacted their lives. The greyscale tonality creates a kind of stark simplicity to the scene. I can imagine Boissonnas, setting up his camera, carefully composing the shot to capture the essence of their daily life. There’s something really timeless about how the light falls across the village, creating deep shadows and highlights that emphasize the rough texture of the buildings. It makes me think about other photographers who explored similar themes of poverty and resilience. I wonder what Boissonnas was trying to say about Greek identity, about community in the face of hardship. There’s a story here about the human condition, and it’s an important reminder of the connections we all share.