Rose O'Neill 1907

Gertrude Kasebier made this photograph of Rose O'Neill, and you can see how O'Neill is captured with such tenderness. There's this soft focus, almost as if Kasebier is painting with light instead of a brush. Look at the way the light catches O'Neill's face, how it illuminates her expression. It's not just about capturing her likeness; it's about conveying a sense of her inner life, her thoughts, her spirit. I can see, in the grainy texture and tonal range, this kind of depth – a feeling of intimacy with the subject. It reminds me of the way I layer colours in my own work. There's an area on the table next to her, with a scattering of light that almost looks like pixie dust. I love how this catches the light in such a way, adding to this feeling of magic. The longer I look, the more I appreciate the ambiguity. This reminds me of Julia Margaret Cameron, but with a modern twist. It's an ongoing conversation and exchange of ideas across time. There is something about O’Neill’s gaze, drawing you in, inviting you to see the world through her eyes, if only for a moment.