Portret van een vrouw 1897 - 1907

Peter Clausing made this portrait of a woman, and what strikes me is its quietude. I imagine Clausing, back then, trying to capture something of her essence. It's delicate work, right? And the material is so fragile; light and paper. The tonal range, close in value, almost monochromatic, makes the woman’s gaze feel steady, soft. There’s a calmness here. She's looking right at us, or through us, into something maybe only she can see. I wonder what she’s thinking. It makes me think about how, as artists, we’re all in this big conversation, responding to each other across time. Clausing, in his way, speaks to other portraitists, inviting us to consider not just who is depicted, but also the very act of seeing and feeling. Painting, like photography, embraces uncertainty, allowing for many readings.