Portret van een onbekende vrouw Possibly 1888 - 1914

This carte de visite was made in Rotterdam by Jules Louis Faassen sometime in the late 19th century. The palette is muted, almost monochrome, giving the whole image a sepia-toned feel. I can imagine Faassen in his studio, carefully adjusting the lighting, positioning his subject just so. I wonder about the woman in the portrait, her calm, almost stoic profile turned away from us, she is an ‘unknown woman’ so what kind of life did she lead? What was she thinking as she sat for this portrait? There’s a formality to her dress. The photographic process, even then, would have been about fixing a certain kind of image, a captured moment that would last for generations. The soft gradations of tone give her presence a quiet sort of dignity. Each element, the fall of light, the angle of her jaw, contributes to this overall feeling. It feels like artists are always in conversation with one another, across time, inspiring each other, playing with ideas. And even though it is a photograph, the delicate tones and composition of this portrait express something fundamental about humanity.