Portret van een vrouw 1900 - 1910

This is a tiny little photograph by Willy Dose, the so-called ‘Portret van een vrouw’. The image has faded and discolored, but the woman’s dress is still really visible. It reminds me of dark floral fabrics and velvet ribbons. I wonder who she was? It’s an interesting question to ask of any portrait, isn't it? What was it like to sit for a formal photograph? How long did it take? What was she thinking about? I love that she’s still here, or at least an image of her is. In many ways, all artists are engaged in an ongoing conversation across time. By looking, we learn about ourselves and each other. As artists, we are always standing on the shoulders of those who came before, inspired by their ideas, their techniques, their ways of seeing. We can never really know what Dose was thinking when they made this, but by paying attention, we can see the care, attention, and love that they poured into it.