Portret van drie onbekende vrouwen c. 1895 - 1905

Editor: So, this photograph, “Portret van drie onbekende vrouwen,” by J. Maduran, likely taken between 1895 and 1905, is rather striking. The soft focus lends this dreamy, ethereal quality, but their expressions are so… serious. It's like a scene from a novel, almost! What’s your take on it? Curator: You’re right, there's an intriguing dichotomy, isn't there? The hazy impressionistic style typical of that era can often evoke feelings of nostalgia, longing or romance but here, combined with their very composed and even… grave stares, it tells a more ambiguous story. Imagine their lives then! Perhaps the gravity comes from the constraints placed upon them. The bow tie on the woman in the centre suggests this challenging the gender expectation, could that be possible? Editor: That’s an interesting point, yes it looks like a bow tie indeed! I initially thought the woman in the middle might be a child – and, perhaps it is all a coincidence or some kind of an inside joke of these sitters and the artist himself, since the description explicitly specifies “three women.” I wonder what this composition with one figure being ‘in the centre’ represents as a photographic ‘portrait’? Curator: Ooh, yes! Think about the evolving role of women at the turn of the century – their entry into education, the workforce and, crucially, the fight for suffrage. Now, look at the gaze again. It isn't flirtatious or submissive – it's direct. There is perhaps a defiance, maybe a quiet, determined rebellion brewing beneath those composed faces. Editor: You've completely changed my perspective! It felt static before, but now I see the potential narrative, the quiet strength. Thanks for unlocking that for me. Curator: And thank you for noticing what could become the most profound detail and prompting me to see with fresh eyes. It's the beauty of art isn't it? The eternal conversation, across centuries, perspectives, and bow ties!