Portret van een vrouw 1882 - 1920

This "Portret van een vrouw" by J. Perallo, is a photograph of a woman in a book. I wonder what Perallo felt when they made it. The image has a sepia tone, like you might see in a daguerrotype. It makes me think of other painters, like Gerhard Richter, who used photography as a departure point for a very different kind of painting. It’s as if Perallo has tried to capture something essential. There’s a tension between precision and something much more ephemeral. Just look at her face, and the lace collar around her neck. The level of detail is fascinating. I am intrigued by the way Perallo has handled the light. What do you think the woman was thinking? Maybe she was involved in the artistic process, or maybe she was just sitting there, waiting. Like painters, photographers enter an exchange of ideas across time, inspiring one another’s creativity. It allows multiple interpretations and meanings.