Portret van een zittende baby 1901 - 1911

This charming little photograph by Jos. Liekens captures a sitting baby, and it’s the kind of portrait that feels like a direct line to the past. I imagine the artist carefully arranging the scene, coaxing the baby to sit still, maybe just for a moment. The light, softly illuminating the baby's face, gives the image a timeless quality. You can almost feel the texture of the fabric the baby is sitting on, and the delicate detail in the framing. I think that the surface and tones create such a serene mood. Looking at this, I’m reminded of the work of other portrait artists that capture intimate moments, like the soft-focus portraits by Julia Margaret Cameron. They both share a similar desire to capture a sense of personality, a fleeting expression that seems to say so much. It makes me wonder what stories this little one might have had to tell.