Portret van een baby 1860 - 1900

This black and white photograph of a baby was made by Atelier Dentel. The photograph is striking in its formal arrangement. The central hexagon shape captures the baby, drawing our eyes immediately to the face, while the surrounding composition plays with depth and flatness. The lines of the surrounding decorative elements create a scene that feels both artificial and organic. Note the semiotic deployment of an egret, reeds and water lilies creating a subtle dialogue between nature and artifice. The choice of monochrome flattens the image, emphasizing the textural contrast between the smooth skin of the baby and the detailed background, creating an interesting tension. The composition is both simple and complex, reflecting broader philosophical concerns about representation and reality in photography. This invites us to question the nature of portraiture itself, and the subtle ways in which meaning is constructed.