Anne Louïse van den Dool's Novel 'Beginnen' Explores Art, Photography and Eating Disorders

Mister Motley features a passage from Anne Louïse van den Dool's novel Beginnen, intertwining art history with a personal story about disordered eating. While taking a Saturday stroll, the main character contemplates the 'anti-portrait,' which lacks facial expression yet conveys new meanings through body language. In a kunstmuseum, she observes group portraits that are over a century old. A college lecture discusses how, around the fin de siècle, the advent of accessible photography transformed back-facing figures into icons of spontaneity. The narrative then delves into her eating disorder, her parents' slow responses, and her decision to seek help from a GP. The excerpt concludes with her reflecting in the past tense, wishing for better behavior. The novel, published by Uitgeverij Querido on 7 October, has an ISBN of 9789025322281 and is priced at €21.99.