Portret van een onbekende vrouw in klederdracht 1897 - 1909

This is a cabinet card, a photograph by Jannes Faber of an unknown woman in traditional dress. The limited palette of black and white really focuses your attention on the details of the costume and the woman's face. Looking at the edges of the photograph, it’s clear that the image is carefully staged. The soft focus creates a kind of ethereal quality to the portrait. Take a look at the lace detailing on her headscarf, each tiny loop and flower meticulously rendered. It's these small details, captured with such precision, that really make the image sing. There is a stillness and formality to the photograph, but it is also very intimate. When I look at her eyes, I think of those incredible portraits by early photographers like Julia Margaret Cameron, there’s that same interest in the human and the personal that seems incredibly modern to me. This is a beautiful example of how photography can be both documentary and deeply expressive.