Kinderportret van Alida Christiana van der Mey c. 1905 - 1920

This is an undated child’s portrait photograph of Alida Christiana van der Mey, created by an anonymous artist. The sepia tones give the piece a faded, antique feel, like looking through someone's attic. This is photography as process, you know? It’s not just a record, but a little time capsule. Look at the backdrop - the blurred garden, the carved pillar. It’s all soft focus, except for Alida's face. It's so interesting to think about how the photographer chose to capture her, what they wanted to emphasize. My eye keeps going to her dress, how it’s just a series of light and shadow, suggesting form without really defining it. Like a Cy Twombly painting, where the gesture is more important than the object. It makes me think of Gerhard Richter’s blurred paintings, a meditation on memory and how things fade over time. This piece isn’t just a portrait, it’s a conversation.