Portret van Jane E. Herrmann 1928

This small black-and-white photograph captures a moment in time, a portrait of Jane E. Herrmann by an unknown photographer. I wonder about the photographer and their intentions. Maybe they liked Jane's hat and fur. The photograph is all about surface and texture. Look at the netting, the way it creates a pattern that intersects with the horizontals behind. Those horizontals create an abstract backdrop to Jane's portrait, with an underlying geometric foundation. The anonymous photographer is clearly playing with the notion of identity, questioning how we can truly know someone through an image. I imagine them thinking about capturing Jane's essence, or perhaps just a fleeting moment of her life. Either way, they contribute to this ongoing exchange of ideas. And, ultimately, this small portrait stands as a testament to the conversations between artists across time, where uncertainty and experimentation allow for multiple interpretations.