Portret van een vrouw in hooggesloten jurk met halsketting 1895 - 1920

This petite portrait of a woman in a high-necked dress with a necklace was made by Gustaf Lesser, though we don’t know exactly when. It's a photograph, so the mark-making is all about light, shadow, and the lens’s focus. The palette is muted, sepia-toned, giving it a timeless, antique feel. The texture is smooth, almost velvety, but you can sense the materiality of the photographic paper. Looking closely, you can see the delicate lace details on her dress, the subtle gradations of tone in her face, and the way the light catches her hair. It's a far cry from a brushstroke, but it shares the same attention to detail that painting can. The woman’s gaze is direct and a little enigmatic. I’m reminded of the portraits by photographers like Julia Margaret Cameron, who also sought to capture something deeper than just a likeness. This is an intimate study of character and humanity, reminding us that art is not just about technical skill, but about seeing the world and its people.