Portret van een onbekende jonge vrouw 1895 - 1908

This portrait of an unknown young woman was captured by E. v.d. Kerkhoff, though we don't know exactly when. It is a classic example of photography of its time, a moment frozen, a face captured. I wonder about the process of making it, the collaboration between the photographer and the sitter. What was she thinking? Did she know what she wanted to look like, or did Kerkhoff coax it out of her? The sepia tones give it a dreamy, nostalgic quality, like a memory fading at the edges. The details are incredible, though, the lace at her collar, the way her hair is pinned up, the serious expression, all telling a silent story. In a way, Kerkhoff was painting with light, carefully composing the scene, manipulating the tones and textures to create a lasting image. Just like painters, photographers have always been in the business of capturing something elusive, something beyond the surface.