Portret van een vrouw, aangeduid als Emilie van Huls Possibly 1900 - 1920

Adolphe Zimmermans made this portrait of a woman, thought to be Emilie van Huls. The photograph is small, and in sepia tones that give it a wonderful softness. I imagine Zimmermans carefully selecting the lighting, and asking Emilie to strike a certain pose, all in an effort to capture her essence. You can see the delicate balance between precision and intuition here. It is in the subtle gradations of tone, and the way the light falls across her face and hair. I can’t help but wonder what it was like to be in the room with Zimmermans and Emilie, witnessing their exchange and the unfolding of this creative act. It’s interesting to consider how different forms of representation can offer different ways of seeing and experiencing the world. Ultimately, art-making is about embracing ambiguity and uncertainty. Every artist contributes to a larger dialogue about our world.