Vrouw zittend voor een schilderij before 1916

Here's a photograph of a woman sitting in front of a painting, made by Adelaide Hanscom Leeson. It's a muted tone photograph, sepia perhaps. The seated figure is posed in front of what could be a trompe-l'oeil painting of clouds, or some kind of surreal sky. I wonder what it was like for her setting up the shot, arranging her sitter, considering the light and composition. What kind of conversation happened between the artist and her muse? Maybe they collaborated on the narrative conveyed in the picture, or maybe there was tension between them. It’s easy to imagine the artist being deeply invested in the process. The woman is lost in her own thoughts, perhaps dreaming of what the painting depicts, the cloudy, open sky. Her gaze downwards suggests something introspective, maybe even melancholic. It's a thoughtful and deeply personal image. As artists we are always inspiring each other, even across decades.