Portret van Johanna Geertruida Jonker 1911

Franz Eiffert made this small portrait of Johanna Geertruida Jonker. I love the simplicity, the way the sepia tones blend into a dreamy, soft focus. It’s as if the image is emerging from a mist. Look at the edges, soft and blurred, as if the image is unfinished, still in process. The oval border around her face makes me think about how we frame and construct images. The color palette is so restricted, but within that, there's so much variation, from the darker tones of her hair to the almost luminescent quality of her skin. This piece reminds me of Gertrude Käsebier. Both were experimenting with photography, pushing the boundaries, and creating images that felt more like paintings than straightforward documentation. It’s a reminder that art is never fixed, always evolving, and that the best art leaves room for questions.