Portret van een jonge vrouw 1894 - 1920

This is a photograph, "Portret van een jonge vrouw," by Anton Cornelis Thomann, who made it sometime between the late 19th and early 20th century. I imagine Anton setting up his camera, maybe even developing the photograph himself in a dark room, all in the service of capturing this one woman. Think about her, sitting for Anton! What was she thinking, what kind of emotion did she project to the outside world? What did she want to reveal or conceal? I can see that lace collar, it's so delicate. I wonder if it’s a family heirloom, passed down through generations. The photo has an appealing sense of intimacy, of lives lived, of histories and stories that can never be fully recovered but are still available for our contemplation. The way Anton captured this woman, that conversation between artist and model, it reminds me that art isn't just about the final product, it's also about the relationships and exchanges that happen along the way. We’re all standing on each other’s shoulders, aren’t we?