Portret van een onbekende vrouw met zweren in haar gezicht, mogelijk veroorzaakt door koningszeer c. 1860 - 1868

Editor: This is a photograph from somewhere around 1860-1868, titled 'Portrait of an unknown woman with sores on her face, possibly caused by scrofula’ by A. de Montméja. It's a powerful image, but also quite confronting given the sitter's visible suffering. What's your take on it? Curator: It certainly grabs you, doesn’t it? Makes you wonder about the story behind the gaze, the life etched onto that face. The rawness of it. Technically, this photograph transcends its apparent clinical purpose; Montméja created not just documentation, but a resonant human document, almost like a modern memento mori. I keep thinking of old medical illustrations, you know, where beauty and decay danced together so strangely. What do you make of that direct stare? Editor: I see both vulnerability and defiance. The detail is so unflinching. It’s hard to imagine having your portrait taken under such circumstances. Does that unflinching detail align it to the Realism art movement of the time? Curator: Absolutely. Realism sought truth, however unpleasant, remember Courbet's stonebreakers? This photograph does the same, challenging accepted beauty norms. Perhaps forcing the viewer to contemplate their own mortality and preconceptions. Do you think this piece would have changed the views towards those who were ill at the time? Editor: I'd hope so, but change is always slow, isn't it? What sticks with me is that this woman, despite everything, becomes unforgettable. Thank you! Curator: My pleasure! A haunting beauty in truth, something you don't shake off quickly. It stays with you.