Portret van een staand meisje met hoed en parasol 1901 - 1909

Nicolaas Broekhuizen made this photograph of a standing girl with a hat and parasol sometime between 1867 and 1920. It's a subdued palette, almost monochromatic, which I find lends a timeless quality to the image; it's not about capturing a specific moment but rather a mood, a feeling. There’s an openness in the way Broekhuizen composes this photograph. The girl’s pose is relaxed and natural, the background is blurred and indistinct. Her dress is white, and almost merges into the background, but her dark boots create an anchor. Look at the parasol, drooping to the side; it's more than just a detail, it's like a little poem about waiting. It reminds me of other artists who were making similarly delicate images around the same time like James Tissot or Whistler. But here, Broekhuizen does not try to create a likeness or capture the sitter, he's creating an atmosphere and allowing the viewer to project their own narrative.