Portret van meisje Coba Da[(...)] met een pop en een hond c. 1895 - 1910

This small oval portrait of Coba Da, with her doll and dog, was made by Jacobus Johannes de Haan. It's a faded photograph, probably sepia toned. I’m wondering, did the photographer want to create an image of family harmony? The girl, her doll, and her dog -- three generations almost -- all sitting patiently. The girl looks a little severe though, doesn't she? Maybe sitting still was hard. I imagine the process of making photographs back then was so much slower, more intentional than now with our phones. Every detail would have been carefully planned and posed. De Haan, the photographer, he's searching for something here -- a way to capture not just a likeness, but the spirit of childhood, perhaps? Or just trying to get the shot done. There is something beautiful about the stillness of the scene. The way the light falls softly, and the feeling of a quiet moment. It’s a little haunting, a little melancholic, a little sweet. And that little dog, so attentive, so loyal. The circle of connection.