Portret van Cornelia Hendrika Nije 1885 - 1930

This small portrait of Cornelia Hendrika Nije was made by Evert Antonius Kerkmeijer, who was based in Apeldoorn, Netherlands. The soft sepia tones give the image a sense of warmth, and the hazy, unfocused edges of the figure give it an ethereal, dreamlike quality. Looking at Cornelia’s face, I’m drawn to the way the light catches the subtle lines around her eyes and mouth. You can see the history of a life lived. Kerkmeijer doesn't seem to be trying to capture a perfect likeness, but instead he emphasizes the materiality of the photographic process itself, embracing the grainy texture, and the imperfections of the aged paper. This embrace of imperfection reminds me a little of the work of artists like Lucian Freud. It's like he’s saying that art isn’t about perfection, but about capturing a moment in time, with all its flaws and complexities.