Portret van een onbekende Japanse vrouw c. 1900 - 1920

This photograph of an unknown Japanese woman was taken by E Ichikawa. The limited grayscale palette makes me think of the way that time flattens things, or how memory can be unreliable in what it chooses to keep and what it lets fade. There's something so composed about this portrait, in her face and posture, but also something relaxed too, maybe even vulnerable. I keep coming back to the way she’s posed, the slight asymmetry of her arms and hands, the way one hand is subtly turned more towards us than the other. It feels like the artist is searching for something, and knows that finding the perfect pose is key. This reminds me of some of the more formal portraits by Alice Neel, or maybe even August Sander. All three photographers are working within the conventions of portraiture, but searching for something new.