Portret van een onbekende vrouw 1902 - 1908

This is a portrait of an unknown woman by E. v.d. Kerkhoff, a small photograph measuring just over 10cm tall. The sepia tones and soft focus give it this diffused, dreamlike quality; the kind of image where the imperfections are part of its charm. It’s not about clarity, it’s about feeling. Looking at the woman’s face, I see the way the light catches her cheekbone, and the subtle gradations in her skin tone. It's not hyper-realistic, but it captures something essential, almost like a sketch. The way the details in her lace collar fade into the background, a lovely dissolving effect that feels both delicate and intimate. The image gives off the air of something being remembered, rather than seen. This reminds me of the work of Julia Margaret Cameron. Both artists used photography to evoke something beyond the purely representational, they invite us to enter a space of reverie and reflection.