Portret van een vrouw met hoed 1900 - 1910

This tiny portrait of a woman in a hat was made by Globus Atelier, but when is anyone's guess. The sepia tones feel very immediate, don't they? Like we could be peering into a real memory. The photograph isn't just an image, it's an object. The texture of the print, the way light catches on its surface. It's all part of the story. Look at how the tones around the woman's face fade into the background, but her hat is in sharp focus. That hat! It’s like a whole world balanced on her head, isn't it? It reminds me of some of Moyra Davey's photographs, but also the portraiture of Alice Neel, though neither artist works in photography, both were deeply interested in the humanity of the sitter. What can we know of her? What was her life like? Art can hold more questions than answers, which is why it's always worth looking closer.