Portret van een onbekende man en vrouw 1887 - 1928

This is a photograph of a man and woman by Wilhelm Frederick Antonius Delboy. Look at how deliberately the subjects are staged; the artist probably asked the couple to sit as still as possible! I wonder, what were they thinking when they made this? The formality of the time is beautifully captured. The man's mustache seems to make a statement, as does the woman's pearl necklace. I appreciate how Delboy encourages our eye to examine this moment in time. It makes me consider portraiture in relation to other paintings, an exchange of ideas across time. Each artist inspires another’s creativity. There’s something about portraiture’s ability to embrace ambiguity, allowing for multiple readings.