Portret van een onbekend meisje met hoed before 1907

This is a portrait of an unknown girl with a hat, made with photography by Snel-Photographie Electrique. The greyscale palette gives this picture a solemn feel. It reminds me of all the work that goes into making an image - the darkroom, the careful balancing of light and shadow. It’s not just pointing and shooting; it’s crafting an atmosphere. The photograph has discolored with age on the right side which only adds to the mystery. Look at the girl’s face, shadowed by her hat. There's a heaviness to her expression, a sense of being caught in a moment not entirely of her choosing. This single image, captured by a commercial photography studio, opens up a story of an individual caught between tradition and modernity. Like the blurry figures in Gerhard Richter's paintings, this photograph reminds us that history is always mediated, always just out of reach. Art isn't just about perfect images; it’s about capturing the imperfect, the fleeting, and the beautifully ambiguous.