Portret van een onbekende jonge vrouw 1897 - 1909

This is a portrait photograph by Jannes Faber of an unknown young woman, created sometime around the turn of the 20th century. It’s pretty amazing to think about the scene: the artist setting up the shot, focusing on the young woman, and working with the natural light. I wonder what they were thinking, what stories they shared to break the ice, or whether they were more formal with each other? Her pose is very still, which is interesting for me as a painter because it makes me think about capturing fleeting moments and the challenge of representing movement or stillness. Her stare is quite serious, and the details of her dress are also fascinating. You know, when you stand in front of a painting, you're not just looking at the final image; you're tracing the movements of the artist, their hesitations, their decisions. It's all there in the texture, the color, the surface. And in a way, we as viewers continue that conversation, adding our own interpretations and feelings to the mix.