Portret van een onbekende man en vrouw met een hond c. 1895 - 1908

This photograph, "Portret van een onbekende man en vrouw met een hond" by E. v.d. Kerkhoff captures an air of mystery with its monochrome palette and posed subjects. It’s not paint, but there is a richness in the gradations of tone, in the way light falls and shapes the sitters faces. I love thinking about the process of taking a photograph, a kind of performance or ritual. The texture here is incredible. The woman’s dress is covered in tiny flowers, repeated and creating an almost dizzying effect. The dog, perched on that little stool, looks right at the camera with a directness you don’t always see in human portraits. His fur has this incredible tactile quality, like you could reach out and feel each individual hair. The backdrop is soft and out of focus. It makes the subjects seem like they are emerging from the shadows. The whole image feels like a conversation between light and dark. Looking at this image, I'm reminded of the work of Diane Arbus. Both artists have this knack for capturing the strange beauty of ordinary moments, and inviting us to really see the people in their pictures, even if we don't know their stories.