Portret van een onbekende vrouw, aangeduid als Mienke Born 1906 - 1924

Gerrit Vonk made this gelatin silver print portrait of an unknown woman, possibly named Mienke Born. It's hard to know for sure, isn't it? But there's an openness to the face that suggests a willingness to be seen, to be known. I am drawn to the tonality, the gradations of grey, almost like a charcoal drawing where Vonk has laid down thin layers that build to create form. This process is subtle, it allows light and shadow to play across her features, bringing her to life. The details are exquisite, especially the lace collar and the soft curls escaping from her up-do. There’s a gentle blur in the background, drawing my eye to the focused crispness of her gaze. I think of artists like Julia Margaret Cameron, who similarly used photography to capture the soul, not just the likeness, of her subjects. I am left to wonder about Mienke and the world she inhabited. Art is like that, a mirror and a window, never just one or the other.