Portret van Jeanne Henriette Reine Reyneke van Stuwe 1895 - 1930

I see this photo of Jeanne Henriette Reine Reyneke van Stuwe made by an unknown artist. It’s a calling card, one of those small portable images. I'm wondering about the act of sitting, posing, and waiting in front of the camera. It’s interesting to think about the sitter’s identity, the impression she wanted to make, but also the photographer's way of seeing. There’s a quiet confidence, the tilt of the head resting on her hand; but is she truly relaxed or simply composed? I’m drawn to the tonal range, the contrast between the sitter and the background. There's a certain depth achieved through a limited range of grays and browns. The way light catches on her face, and the dark shadows that frame her. It reminds me of the way old photographs are always in conversation with portrait paintings, and how artists across time have been inspired to capture a likeness of a subject.