Portret van een vrouw 1873 - 1909

Editor: This is "Portret van een vrouw," a photograph, by Idanus Hendrikus Slaterus, made sometime between 1873 and 1909. It's such a muted piece; everything seems very linear and contained. How would you interpret this work? Curator: Focusing solely on the image's formal properties, I find the use of light and shadow particularly striking. Notice how the high-key lighting washes out much of the detail in the sitter's clothing, yet simultaneously accentuates the precise contour of her face and neck. It draws your attention directly to her gaze. Editor: So you're saying the almost ethereal quality highlights her direct gaze, even though the photographic technology wasn't as sharp back then? Curator: Precisely. It also brings our attention to the internal frame which contrasts with the plain style in the depiction of the model. Furthermore, the limited tonal range simplifies the form. Do you observe any other compositional choices that strike you? Editor: I notice the rigid symmetry of her hairstyle mirrors the vertical framing, which emphasizes her stoic expression. This makes it hard to grasp a specific narrative about the subject. Curator: Indeed. Slaterus, in restricting the dynamic range, and working only within this tight visual structure creates something very contained. Do you think a contemporary viewer would read it similarly? Editor: That’s an interesting point. Probably not, we're trained to look for, or even expect narrative. Now I see how my own expectations are being challenged by the simplicity of form. Curator: Considering just its inherent visual architecture lets one perceive the true intent. Focusing our reading to its shape helps distill a work to its original and essential components.