Portret van een vrouw met bril 1902 - 1908

This is E. v.d. Kerkhoff's "Portret van een vrouw met bril", or "Portrait of a Woman with Glasses," made sometime around the turn of the century, and it's one of those photographs that feels like it’s not just capturing a face, but a whole mood, a way of seeing. It’s interesting how photography, even back then, could play with light and shadow, making the two-dimensional surface feel almost sculptural. Look at the way her glasses reflect the light, making them seem almost like a barrier. The texture of the photograph itself, the slight blur and grain, adds to this sense of a moment captured, something ephemeral. The woman’s gaze is direct but not confrontational. Her expression is thoughtful, almost curious. It reminds me a bit of some of those early portraits by Julia Margaret Cameron, where it's less about perfection and more about capturing something real. It’s like a quiet conversation across time, a shared moment of seeing and being seen.