Portret 1940 - 1945

This undated portrait by an anonymous artist at the Rijksmuseum is rendered in tones of grey and sepia. It captures a young man in uniform. I can imagine the artist carefully calibrating the light, positioning the subject just so. Did the young man feel the weight of history, the gravity of his role? There is something melancholic in the image. I wonder about the artist's intention, and how they saw their subject. I sympathize with the challenge of capturing someone's likeness, of trying to convey a sense of their inner life through external details. It's like trying to mix the perfect color, always chasing a feeling, an idea, that seems just out of reach. Like other artists, this person was making an enquiry into what it means to see and be seen, to capture and be captured. They all inspire each other, and that's what keeps art alive.