Portret van een onbekende vrouw 1890 - 1920

Here is an early photograph on card by Theodorus Ferdinant van de Pol, it shows an unknown woman. The tonal range is minimal, various shades of brown and grey. I wonder about that woman's dress. It’s got polka dots and frills. A little jewelry. She is serious, maybe even serene, and has the casual confidence of someone who’s been photographed before. I wonder if van de Pol put her at ease. I guess he saw her as an individual, but also as a type. The every-woman. The girl next door. She is the star of the show. The photograph seems like it could be a way for him to ask questions about himself, about his life, about the nature of what we remember and what we forget. When we look at art, we're also in an ongoing conversation, always exchanging ideas, and sparking new kinds of creativity in each other. It’s like a shared space for multiple views and meanings.