Portret van Dirkje ten Have Possibly 1916

This small portrait of Dirkje ten Have was made by an anonymous artist using photography at some point in the past, we don't know exactly when. It's a really interesting reminder that artmaking is always a process, even when it involves mechanical means such as photography. I love how the monochrome palette emphasizes the tonal values, it gives the piece a certain weightiness. The artist really captured a sense of the sitter’s presence, how she is sitting on the chair, her gaze fixed on the viewer. I find my eye is drawn to the crack that runs vertically through the image, almost bisecting Dirkje's head, and wonder how this has affected my viewing of the piece. Maybe this piece reminds me of the photography of Lisette Model, who was interested in photographing people in a way that captured the essence of their humanity. It’s a simple image, but it invites so many questions.