Portret van Grietje Groot 1908 - 1915

This is a photograph of Grietje Groot by Johannes Laurens Theodorus Huijsen, but I can tell you, looking at this, it feels more like a painting. I'm imagining Huijsen in his studio, carefully composing the shot, thinking about light and shadow. He probably spent hours in the darkroom coaxing the image to life through various chemical baths and toners. There's a certain softness, a gentle quality to the image, like he was trying to capture not just her likeness, but her essence. The way the light falls across her face, the subtle details in her lace collar and the dark necklace - each element carefully considered. Think about the physicality of the medium. How it feels to hold it in your hands, the weight of the paper, the slight sheen of the surface. It's about feeling. It’s not just about seeing, but feeling the moment. The exchange between photographers is ongoing. They all learn from and inspire one another’s creativity, and each one of them leaves it open for interpretation, a conversation between the artist, the subject, and the viewer.