Portret van een onbekende vrouw 1890 - 1918

Jan Siewers made this portrait of an unknown woman using photography. There's a gentle quality to this image; its soft sepia tones make it feel like a faded memory. I imagine Siewers carefully arranging his subject, perhaps coaching her on how to pose just so, by the ornately carved chair, the backdrop of the painted tree. I think that it must have taken time to coax the image into being. The camera captures not just a likeness, but the very air of a person. What was she thinking as she sat for him? Was it a special occasion for her? The slight smile, the lace collar, her hand resting on the chair - all of it speaks volumes without saying a word. Painters like Siewers were, in their own way, participating in the same human project as painters like me. They teach us how to see, how to feel, and how to connect across the ages.