Drie portretten van Ida en Loty van Braam 1890 - 1910

Editor: We're looking at "Drie portretten van Ida en Loty van Braam," or Three portraits of Ida and Loty van Braam, created sometime between 1890 and 1910 by Carel Eduard Westerborg. They're albumen prints, arranged in a decorative wooden frame. The sepia tones and the formality of the portraits give it such a nostalgic, almost wistful feel. What draws your eye when you look at this piece? Curator: That wistful feeling resonates deeply, doesn’t it? For me, it's the gaze. In two of the portraits, the sisters meet your eyes, creating an undeniable connection across time. I wonder about their lives, their dreams…were they aware that this photograph would last more than a century? And in the central portrait, a young mother with her child – an intimate glimpse into family, isn't it? Do you feel like the arrangement - these three ovals nestled together - tells a story beyond the individual portraits? Editor: I hadn't thought about it that way, but placing the mother and child between the two separate portraits almost creates a narrative arc: from individual girlhoods to motherhood, linked together. But what about Westerborg himself? How does the photographer’s eye shape the piece? Curator: Ah, Westerborg. He captures a moment suspended in time. Look at the lighting, soft and diffused. This wasn't about sharp realism; it was about capturing a certain ideal of beauty, perhaps of virtue. He is offering a vision, not just a record. These images weren’t throwaway snapshots; these were considered portraits meant to be cherished. You know, what's amazing is how even within the conventions of portraiture at the time, you glimpse these individual spirits peeking through. Can you feel it? Editor: I do. It’s funny, isn't it? We analyze the artistry, the technique, but ultimately it's the humanity that shines through. Curator: Exactly. And isn’t that the magic of portraiture? It’s not just about faces; it’s about catching glimpses of souls, preserved in time and light.