Portret van de zangeres Jeanne Bacilek 1930

This is a photograph of the singer Jeanne Bacilek, made by Frits Geveke sometime in the early twentieth century. It's sepia toned, you know, that antique kind of brown that makes you feel like you’re looking back through time. I wonder what it was like for Geveke to capture Bacilek. Did she sing for him? What was she thinking? Her dress, the veil, and that incredible headpiece, it's all so theatrical! I imagine the studio bathed in soft light, the air filled with anticipation and the subtle scent of the developing chemicals. There is a tension between the formality of the portrait and the singer's relaxed pose. It is a really interesting contrast. It reminds me that artists always play with the push and pull of tradition to find something new. It's an ongoing conversation across time, where one artist inspires another.