Portret van een vrouw met parelketting op de rug gezien, genoemd Nora Garsten 1929

Curator: "Portrait of a Woman with Pearl Necklace Seen from the Back, Called Nora Garsten," a gelatin-silver print made around 1929. It's currently held at the Rijksmuseum. Editor: My first impression is quiet grace—it’s almost cinematic, the way the light catches the pearls. Very classic Hollywood, but with an air of introspection. Curator: Indeed, there’s an intentional play with visibility and concealment. We see this woman, Nora Garsten, seemingly revealed with her bare back, yet her face is turned away, presenting only her profile. It suggests a tension between revelation and privacy, reflecting perhaps the shifting roles of women in the early 20th century. Editor: That pearl necklace snaking down her spine, it almost feels like a physical manifestation of secrets, of unspoken desires. The way the pearls gather at the base is rather symbolic. And what about the semi-translucent fabric barely covering her shoulder? Such sensuality! Curator: The framing also contributes to the modernist sensibility, disrupting traditional portrait conventions. There is no contextual setting; she's suspended in shadow and light, the emphasis solely on the individual. Moreover, it certainly seems relevant to reflect on gender and representation. Was Nora in charge of deciding to represent herself, or was it somebody else´s creative or commercial decision? Who has the right to express ideas about female identity, body, beauty? Editor: The intimacy the photographer captures is so profound! It’s a portrait that is simultaneously present and aloof. I wonder, did Nora connect with the artist while this image was being captured? Or, perhaps she decided on purpose to be enigmatic? This really makes you think about a woman´s beauty being put on display. Curator: This photograph challenges viewers to think beyond the surface and consider the multilayered dimensions of identity and representation in art. It’s very much of its time while remaining profoundly relevant to contemporary conversations around agency, objectification, and the gaze. Editor: Looking at this print makes me feel this constant push and pull we have with ourselves about self-love, confidence and presentation to the world.