Portret van een onbekend meisje 1889 - 1915

This small portrait of an unknown girl was made by Carel Eduard Westerborg sometime in the late 19th century using albumen silver print. I can just imagine Westerborg in his studio, carefully posing this young girl. Her expression is so serene. I wonder what she was thinking about while he worked? The subtle tonal gradations are incredible, the way the light defines her face. It reminds me a little of those early photographic portraits by Julia Margaret Cameron, but with a more formal, almost classical sensibility. Look at how Westerborg captured her hair, each strand delicately rendered. He's using light and shadow to create depth and form. You can almost feel the texture of her simple dress. It's amazing how much emotion and personality he could convey in such a small format. It’s a reminder that artists are always in dialogue, drawing on and reinventing the ideas of those who came before. This quiet, unassuming photograph speaks volumes.