Portret van een onbekende vrouw 1897 - 1909

This is a portrait of an unknown woman made by Jannes Faber, we don't know when exactly. There is a strange feeling to this image, not that different from applying paint to canvas, you look for what to emphasize and what to leave soft, and what to hide in shadow. The photograph is a study in light and shadow, a muted palette that enhances the subject’s sense of mystery. I think of the way light catches the ruffled collar around her neck, and the soft focus around the edges of her face. The tonal values are delicate, almost whispered, like a charcoal drawing or an unfinished painting. It is like the photograph is an echo of something felt, more than observed. It reminds me a bit of the portraits of Alice Neel, both artists were able to capture not just a likeness, but a mood, a moment, a sliver of a soul. The point is, the best art makes you feel something, even if you can’t quite put your finger on what it is.