Mevrouw M. Lobry van Troostenburg de Bruyn-Simon Thomas en haar dochter zittend in de duinen c. 1908 - 1909

This photograph, whose maker is unknown, captures Mevrouw M. Lobry van Troostenburg de Bruyn-Simon Thomas and her daughter sitting in the dunes. The palette is muted, almost monochromatic, reminding me that art-making, even with a camera, is always a process of selection and interpretation. Look at the texture, the way the light catches the fabric of their dresses, the grainy quality of the sand. It’s all about surface, about the physicality of the world captured in a moment. There’s a delicate balance between clarity and ambiguity, especially in the daughter’s gaze; she looks as though she might look away any second. Thinking about anonymous artworks always leads me to consider the ongoing conversation between artists across time. This piece feels like a quiet dialogue with paintings by artists like James McNeil Whistler. Just as in his work, the image embraces ambiguity over fixed meanings, inviting us to bring our own interpretations.