Henriëtte Roland Holst - van der Schalk c. 1910

This photograph of Henriëtte Roland Holst - van der Schalk, captured by an anonymous artist, shows her poised at her desk, lost in thought. I imagine this artist, whoever they were, setting up their camera, hoping to capture a likeness, but also something more. Maybe they were drawn to the way the light fell across her face, or the determined set of her jaw. Henriëtte’s hand props her head. Is she tired? Frustrated? Or just deeply, deeply focused? The texture in a photograph is so different from the texture in painting. But you can still sense the quiet stillness, the concentration it took for the artist to press the shutter, to freeze this moment in time. Like a painter, the photographer's own intentions, feelings, and questions become part of the artwork. The image becomes an offering to the future. I love how the artist and the subject conspire to create something that lives on, long after they're both gone.