Portret van Marguérite Helfrich 1897

This intriguing portrait by Jan Toorop is made from a photographic process called a glass negative. Rather than paint or pencil, here we have an image captured and preserved through a complex chemical reaction on a sheet of glass. The ethereal quality comes not just from Toorop's artistic sensibility, but from the inherent properties of the photographic medium itself. The transparent glass, the subtle gradations of light and shadow rendered in silver salts – these elements combine to create an image that feels both present and ghostly. The process involved skilled darkroom techniques, and an understanding of optics and chemistry. Photography, in its early days, blurred the lines between science and art. While it democratized image-making, its reliance on specialized knowledge and equipment also reflected emerging industrial and technological forces. It's easy to forget how radical this all seemed at the time. When we consider the materials and techniques involved, we can appreciate how it challenges traditional ideas about what art is and how it's made.