Portret van een vrouw 1899 - 1920

This is 'Portret van een Vrouw' by H.J. Tollens, a small portrait made in an unknown medium. The tonality is subdued; it whispers rather than shouts. It reminds me that artmaking, whether photography or painting, is fundamentally about a process of layering. Look at how the light plays across the woman's face. The details aren't precise. There is a softness, which is partly due to the process, the materials, and the passage of time. The surface is smooth, almost ethereal. It invites you to imagine the textures, the feel of the paper, the subtle gradations of light and shadow that give her face its form. In the quiet gaze, I'm reminded of the portraits of women by Alice Neel. It's like a conversation across time, each artist responding to what came before, adding their voice to the chorus. This image, with all its simplicity, invites us to consider the endless possibilities of seeing and representing the world around us. It's not about answers but about the questions we ask along the way.