Portret van een vrouw, staand bij een zuil met fotolijst 1893 - 1917

Frederick Southwell made this portrait of a woman, standing by a pillar with a photo frame, sometime around the turn of the century. It's a photograph, of course, but you can see how the artist has carefully composed the shot to create a sense of depth and atmosphere. It’s a process of layering dark on light on dark, but so subtly you almost miss it. Look at the way the light falls across her face and dress. The tones are so delicately balanced. You can almost feel the texture of the fabric, the soft shadows creating a sense of depth and volume. I like how the edge of the frame is visible within the picture, reminding us that every image is a construction. Even though it's a photo, you can really see the artist's hand at work in the arrangement. There's a quiet, introspective quality to this image, a sense of stillness and contemplation. And I think it's this sense of mystery that makes it so compelling. It reminds me a little bit of some of Gerhard Richter's blurred portraits, or even the early work of Luc Tuymans. It's about capturing a fleeting moment, an impression, rather than a definitive likeness.