Gezelschap lopend over de boulevard, Scheveningen 1932

This photograph, of a group walking along the boulevard at Scheveningen, was made by an unknown artist. It’s a record of a place and time, sure, but like all photographs, the image is constructed. Look at the way the figures are arranged: the three women spaced out along the left side of the frame, the pram dividing the group, and the man walking separately on the right. The composition is so formal, it could be a frieze on a classical building! And then there are the details. I keep coming back to the textures in the image: the rough surface of the boardwalk, the soft fabric of the dresses, the hard lines of the architecture behind them. These tactile sensations are heightened by the flat, monochrome palette, emphasizing the physicality of the scene. The photo almost feels sculptural. You see echoes of Atget and Sander in this photographer’s approach, but also a quiet observation of the everyday. The image invites us to consider the past and how we record it.