Portret van Neeltje Kelderman 1900 - 1914

This is a portrait of Neeltje Kelderman by A. van Nieuwenhuizen, probably a photograph, and what I find interesting is the way that a certain tonal range or palette can imply so much. Here, the almost total lack of contrast gives it this soft, dreamy quality, like a memory fading at the edges. The absence of strong darks or bright highlights means the whole thing is pitched in this register of subtle gradations, and you start noticing all the slight variations of tone in her face, the way the light catches her cheekbones, the delicate rendering of the lace collar. You can see a little mottling or wear and tear on the print itself – it makes me think about what happens when things age, how they acquire this whole other layer of interest that wasn't there originally. It reminds me a little of Corot, who was also a master of quiet tones. Like any good work, it refuses to give up all its secrets at once.