Portret van een onbekende Japanse vrouw c. 1900 - 1920

This photograph, “Portret van een onbekende Japanse vrouw” by E Ichikawa, really captures the stillness of a posed portrait and yet, also speaks to something deeper. I think about Ichikawa, setting up the shot, getting the lighting just so to capture the woman's features in such soft focus. There’s something so poignant and intimate about portraiture. What was the relationship between the photographer and the subject? What were they thinking? It can be seen in the way she sits, how she wears her kimono, and the gentle but direct gaze she gives the camera. I imagine the photographer giving the woman directions, maybe even cracking a joke to lighten the mood. Did they know each other, or was it a business transaction? So many questions, and no answers. And yet, the conversation continues through time, with us, looking.