Portret van een onbekende vrouw in bontmantel, mogelijk een actrice 1925 - 1937

Studio Harlip made this gelatin silver print, of what might be an actress, enveloped in fur. It is hard to know, isn’t it, what the actress was thinking as she posed for this portrait. I imagine that the photographer might have taken the photo, looked at it, and thought to themselves, how can I make this portrait more interesting? Or, perhaps, they just wanted to capture a moment of beauty, of feminine mystique. The fur frames her face, and creates a soft, hazy border. I can sense an exchange of ideas between photographer and sitter, a conversation in the studio space. The actress is playing a part, and the photographer is trying to capture it. There's a confidence in her smile, a boldness in her gaze. It’s a moment, captured forever, full of ambiguity and potential meanings.