Portret van een onbekende vrouw, aangeduid als Dimmetje Boslang, laatste dienstbode van dr. C.W. Rossing

S. van de Plaat, in the town of Middelharnis, made this small portrait of a woman called Dimmetje Boslang. It's a photograph, so the marks aren't brushed or stroked on in the same way I would approach painting. Instead, it's an image made with light. The sepia tones give it this incredible warmth. Her face is soft, but there's a clarity in her eyes. The texture of the photograph itself, the paper grain and the slight imperfections, make her feel so real. It’s like she’s right there, maybe a bit shy but definitely present. The decorative border around the image reminds me that this was a special object. And when I think about the light in the photograph, the way it defines her face, I'm also reminded of those early photographic portraits by Julia Margaret Cameron. It's all a big conversation, isn't it?