Portret van een onbekende vrouw met en boek in haar hand c. 1880 - 1920

Editor: This is "Portret van een onbekende vrouw met en boek in haar hand," a photograph taken sometime between 1880 and 1920 by Albert Hellwage. It’s such a dreamy image. She seems completely lost in her book, or perhaps pondering life. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Ah, yes. A lady of leisure perhaps? Though those furs might make you itch if you weren't used to them. You know, what I find striking is the carefully constructed setting. The backdrop isn’t real – it's painted! Notice how the blurring effect creates a sense of intimacy. Editor: A painted backdrop! I hadn’t noticed that. It does add to the dreamy, almost theatrical quality of the portrait. Do you think that’s a comment on how women were supposed to present themselves at the time? Curator: Possibly! This photo was created at a time when social roles for women were very rigid, and the photograph allows her to at least perform a persona, create a safe space through Intimism... Tell me, what do you think she's reading? Perhaps scandalous poetry? Editor: Ooh, I like that idea! It definitely adds another layer to the interpretation. Maybe she's not just a lady of leisure, but a secret rebel! Curator: Precisely! Or maybe, and just maybe, it's simply her favourite cookbook, who knows what really fills our mind? Editor: I love that! This photograph tells us so much about both the subject and the era, and yet so much is still left to our imagination. Curator: Exactly. And isn’t that what makes art so utterly…bewitching?