Portret van C. de Keyser 1902 - 1905

This is Stephanus Adrianus Schotel's black and white photograph, "Portret van C. de Keyser". I find myself wondering, what’s it like to be immortalized like this, but also, what’s it like to do the immortalizing? I can imagine Schotel, peering behind the camera lens, his eye zeroing in on the subtle curve of the girl’s face. Look at how he captures the light playing across her cheek, how the dark ribbons in her hair frame her face with dramatic flair. I see him coaxing her into a pose, she is probably a little nervous and shy. The soft, almost dreamy quality of the photograph—it’s like Schotel is trying to capture not just her likeness, but something more elusive, something about the feeling of being young. It reminds me of those early portraits, where the artist is not just recording, but actively shaping our perception of the subject. There’s this collaboration happening. The artist is always looking for an exchange of ideas to inspire their own work.