Rita de Acosta Lydig 1905

This portrait of Rita de Acosta Lydig was made by Gertrude Kasebier, though the exact date is unknown, but it was made with the analogue process of photography. Kasebier’s work, like a lot of photography from the time, is so tactile, you can almost smell the chemicals. The tonal range creates a subtle sense of depth, like a charcoal drawing, or even an etching! I want to run my fingers over the surface of the print, but I can’t, so I’ll just say that the light in this portrait is doing a lot of work. Look at the way her dress gathers at the shoulder, the way the light creates these dark, soft, folds, or how the line of her neck makes a perfect diagonal. It’s not about perfection, or a perfect likeness. It’s about something more felt, or more remembered. I think of someone like Julia Margaret Cameron, another photographer who wasn’t afraid to let her process inform the image, or the painter, James Whistler, who was also interested in capturing a mood, or an atmosphere in paint. Each artist, in their own way, invites us to slow down and really see what's there, and also what isn’t.