Portret van een peuter met een pop c. 1905 - 1915

This is a portrait of a toddler with a doll, by B. Knopper. It was made in Amsterdam, but the date is unknown. It is a small piece, only 89mm high, but this doesn’t stop it from being impactful. It’s all about the light here. The way the light gently models the soft forms of the toddler’s face. The folds in the fabric of their clothes remind me of a Baroque painting, but with something much more intimate and personal. Look at the subtle details, the way that the photograph fades at the edges. There is a real sense of warmth, and humanity here. I am reminded of the photographic portraits of Julia Margaret Cameron. Like Cameron, Knopper invites us to contemplate the inner life of their sitter and to think about the passing of time.