Portret van een onbekende vrouw in een omlijsting met rozen c. 1895 - 1910

This is a cabinet card portraying an unknown woman, captured by E. v.d. Kerkhoff. The delicate rose motif surrounding the woman carries the weight of centuries. Roses, traditionally symbols of love, beauty, and sometimes secrecy, appear in art across vastly different eras. Think of Botticelli's Venus, roses scattered at her feet, or medieval depictions of the Virgin Mary, often crowned with roses. The rose's symbolism shifts, yet persists, much like the enduring human emotions they represent. Subconsciously, the rose connects us to these past expressions of love, loss, and beauty. The slight blurring of the photograph evokes a sense of melancholy, further enhanced by the ephemeral quality of the roses, inviting us to ponder the transient nature of beauty and memory. It's a poignant reminder of how symbols evolve, carrying whispers of the past into the present.