Portret van twee onbekende meisjes 1900 - 1914

This photographic print of two unknown girls was made by Camillus Franciscus van der Aa sometime in the late 19th century, and what strikes me is how the act of portraiture constructs a site of inquiry for both artist and sitter. I wonder about the artist's thought process here, and what was it like for the girls? They are dressed almost identically in white lace dresses, but their expressions are quite different. The girl on the right has a slight smile, and the other looks more serious. It is interesting to consider the material aspects of this kind of image-making. The sepia tone feels almost painterly. And it reminds me that, actually, photography and painting have been in a continuous dialogue since the invention of photography. Each has influenced the other, offering different ways of seeing, thinking, and experiencing the world. We are all in conversation, exchanging ideas across time, inspiring one another’s creativity.