Portret van een onbekende vrouw met hoed before 1903

This portrait of an unknown woman with a hat, by Ernst Wanschura, is printed in a book, and it feels like looking at a memory. The magic of this image lies in the way Wanschura has captured this woman. It's not about perfection; it’s about the process of seeing and feeling. The face is delicately rendered, you can see how he's built it up with soft, smudged lines and subtle tonal shifts. The hat casts this beautiful shadow, creating a sense of depth and mystery. I am drawn to the way her eyes seem to be gazing somewhere beyond the frame, lost in thought. It’s a fleeting moment, a quiet observation of someone’s inner world. It reminds me of the portraits by Julia Margaret Cameron, both artists sharing a desire to capture something of the soul, rather than just the surface. Art like this invites you to slow down and connect with the humanity in front of you.