Portret van een onbekende vrouw before 1905

This is a portrait of an unknown woman, made by Alvin Langdon Coburn, although we don't know exactly when. What strikes me is the way Coburn orchestrates these different tones of black and white to create a sense of mystery and intrigue, like a half-remembered dream. The photograph has a textured quality that makes it feel almost tangible. The dress of the sitter is rendered in rich detail, and I find myself drawn to the way the light catches the folds and curves of the fabric. You can almost feel the weight and texture of the material. There's a chair in the background that seems to float in the darkness. It reminds me a little of Man Ray, with this moody, atmospheric use of light and shadow. Ultimately, I think this piece invites us to embrace ambiguity and uncertainty. It's a reminder that art can be a space of endless possibility, where meanings shift and change depending on how we look.