Portret van een man ("Manchreherleh [?]"), Iran [?] c. 1880 - 1910

This is a portrait of a man, by Antoine Sevruguin, made with photography in Iran. The sepia tones and soft focus lend the image a sense of timelessness, almost as if it exists outside the flow of historical time. The subject is centered, creating a balanced composition that draws your eye directly to his face. His gaze, direct and unwavering, establishes an immediate connection. The textured hat, contrasted against the plain background, introduces a play of tactile versus smooth, highlighting material qualities within the photographic print. The carefully arranged elements—the hat, the clothes, the letter—act as signifiers. They invite us to decode their cultural meanings and consider the layers of identity and representation at play. Sevruguin's artistic choice invites us to consider how the photograph, as a medium, shapes our perception of reality and identity.