Portret van Ma Tobben 1900 - 1910

This vintage portrait of Ma Tobben, was captured by Johannes Laurens Theodorus Huijsen. Look at how this image has come into being, shifting and emerging through the trials and errors of early photography, a new medium at the time. You can almost imagine Huijsen behind the camera, carefully adjusting the light and pose, trying to capture something essential about his sitter. What was he thinking as he looked through the lens? What would Ma Tobben make of all of this? See how the tones create texture and form, and how the light shapes our experience of the photograph, contributing to its mood and emotional resonance. I keep thinking about how artists are always in an ongoing conversation. Across time they exchange ideas, inspiring one another's creativity. What do you think Ma Tobben would make of digital photos now? What did she imagine for the future?