Portret van een staande jongen met kanten kraag bij een stoel 1882 - 1940

This sepia toned photograph shows a young boy in formal attire, made by Bobs. I'm imagining him as a painter in the darkroom, coaxing this image out of the ether. It's all about layers, like any good painting, right? There's a stillness to this shot, a moment captured, but I bet he's squirming inside. The lace collar, starched and proper, probably feels like a torture device. And those boots! Are they pinching his toes? The chair next to him looks more comfortable, draped with fabric. It's like a stage set, a tableau vivant. But what's the story here? Is he longing to run off and play? Or is he already dreaming of becoming a painter himself? The way the light falls across his face, the soft focus, it's all so painterly. It reminds me of the early portraits of children, those bourgeois babies of the past, always painted with such dignity. It's like the photographer and the painters, we're all in conversation, trying to make sense of the world, one image at a time.