Portret van een onbekende vrouw verbeeld als boeteling before 1903

This small, early photograph by Otto Scharf, "Portret van een onbekende vrouw verbeeld als boeteling" is a real mood piece. It uses only a few tones to create a ghostly atmosphere. The textures are key here. Scharf uses the light coming in from the window to full effect. The window dressings, or possibly even the woman herself, appear as stark white lines against the solid greys. They are draped in such a way that the image becomes a play with the medium itself. Is it staged? Is it a portrait? It has the quality of a quick sketch that captures a fleeting moment. The way the photograph uses darkness, allowing areas to recede into shadow, reminds me of some of Paula Modersohn-Becker's more expressionistic paintings. Both artists use a limited range of tones to evoke a particular emotional state. It makes you wonder about the stories that are hidden in plain sight.