Gezicht op twee vrouwen die in wastobben de was aan het doen zijn before 1902

This black-and-white photograph by H. Vonachten shows two women doing laundry, maybe in the early 20th century. The light is cool and grey; the women are working with focus and determination. I can imagine what it might have been like to create this image. What was Vonachten thinking? Was it a statement on the working classes or simply a recording of daily life? The small format forces us to get close, to examine it in detail. I wonder about the surface. Is it smooth, or does it have texture that enhances its depth? There is a kind of exchange of ideas across time – the way we continue to represent labour and domesticity. Like artists, these women are in an ongoing conversation and exchange of ideas, inspiring one another’s creativity. What does labour mean to us now?