Portret van een onbekende vrouw 1893 - 1895

Bernard de Jong captured this portrait of an unknown woman, employing the technology of his time to freeze a moment in history. Note how the cross hangs suspended, a potent symbol anchoring the composition. The cross speaks of sacrifice, redemption, and faith. As an emblem, it journeys back through time, predating Christianity, yet its resonance here is unmistakably tied to Christian iconography. But let us not confine its interpretation merely to religious doctrine. The cross, in its geometric simplicity, embodies the intersection of cosmic forces: the vertical axis connecting the earthly and divine, the horizontal stretching across the realms of human experience. Consider the emotional weight this symbol carries. It evokes not only personal piety but also collective memory, tapping into a wellspring of cultural associations embedded deep within the subconscious. The cross persists, morphs, and reappears, laden with the echoes of history and belief.