Portret van een meisje in jas met witte kanten kraag en hoed 1897 - 1913

Herman Adolphe Bopp made this small portrait of a girl in a coat, white lace collar, and hat at an unknown time, using who knows what materials. I see a seriousness in the girl's eyes that makes me think she's performing for the camera, trying to look older than she is. What was it like for Bopp to capture this moment? Was he trying to capture her essence, or was he simply recording her image? There's a sweetness in the formality of the lace collar and the buttoned-up coat, an attempt to create an image of her, but also a hint of her personality peeking through. Maybe Bopp was inspired by Dutch masters like Rembrandt, but working with the new technology of photography. Artists are always in conversation with each other, across time and media, borrowing ideas and pushing boundaries. Bopp has frozen a fleeting moment, one that will never be repeated, in the process he captures something timeless about childhood, innocence, and the desire to be seen.