Portret van een man 1900 - 1920

This portrait of a man, was made as a photograph by Delboy & Baer. The way that light and shadow fall across his face, creating deep contrasts, makes me think about how we capture and hold onto moments. Looking closely, the surface has a subtle sheen, and you can almost feel the cool smoothness of the photographic paper. The way the light defines the contours of his face, those sharp lines of his beard, it's almost sculptural. I keep thinking about how the photographers managed to make this image so present. It's as if he might turn and speak to you at any moment. It reminds me of some of Gerhard Richter’s blurred portraits, the way the essence of a person is caught, with some details fading, others standing out. Art, in any form, isn’t about freezing a moment but about embracing the ongoing conversation between the subject, the artist, and the viewer.