Portret van een onbekend meisje 1905 - 1914

Jos Bulens painted this portrait of an unknown girl, we don’t know when, or with what materials. But what a strange and lovely piece, it's a photograph, yes, but it's been hand colored with pastels. Look at the way the girl emerges from a misty green background, like a dream. The colors are so soft, they feel like they're breathing. The girl's dress has these frilly, scalloped edges, and the way Bulens colored them makes them look almost edible, like sugared almonds. And her eyes, such light blue, draw you right in. You can see where he has tried to make her face seem rounded with the pastels. It reminds me of some of those old society portraits, like John Singer Sargent, but it has this eerie, otherworldly quality, like a Pre-Raphaelite painting. Art is strange, isn’t it?