Mevrouw Gorter in een interieur Possibly 1904

This is a portrait of Mevrouw Gorter in an interieur, made by Sigmund Löw sometime between the late 19th and early 20th century, using what looks like a photographic process. The grey tones are really interesting, so many gradations in light, as if Löw was thinking tonally, like a painter. What grabs me here is the texture, especially the way the light plays on the ornate fabrics. There’s the shimmering dress of Mevrouw Gorter herself, all folds and ripples, set against the patterned sofa and the carved wooden panels behind. And then there’s the soft blur of the floral arrangement. I love how the light softens the edges of things, making everything feel dreamy. The eye is drawn to the whiteness of her face and dress, set against all of that darkness. It makes me think about how artists like Vilhelm Hammershøi, who was a contemporary of Löw, were exploring similar tonal interests in their interior scenes at this time, even though they used paint! It shows how artists are always in dialogue with one another, regardless of their chosen medium. And in the end, it’s up to us, the viewers, to decide what it all means.