Portret van Johanna Geertruida Jonker 1900 - 1907

This is a portrait of Johanna Geertruida Jonker, captured by Johan Christiaan Reesinck with photography. It's all about tone here, a real study in sepia and the warmth that it can bring to a subject. There's something so affecting about the way her dress seems to glow. It's all down to the way that light is caught in the fabric, the way the tones shift almost imperceptibly across its surface. Look at the vertical stripes on the sleeves of her dress; like brushstrokes, these details give a sense of the artists hand being present, even in a photograph. Her gaze is directed somewhere just beyond the frame, inviting us to speculate on her inner thoughts. It feels like an intimate moment frozen in time. Like a painting by Whistler, the colour choice is minimal but the emotional depth is huge. It’s a reminder that simplicity can be incredibly powerful.