Portret van een man met bril 1880 - 1940

This photographic portrait of a man with glasses, by Berger, invites a little daydreaming about the past. The sepia tones and the formal pose immediately evoke a different era, a time when photography was a deliberate act. Look at the way the light catches the lenses of his glasses, creating a small bright spot that draws your eye. This single detail adds a layer of depth, it brings a modern sense of abstraction to this period piece. The focus of the photograph makes me think about the idea of perception, and how this man with glasses sees the world versus how Berger, the photographer, sees him. It is like a metaphor for the way we all construct our own versions of reality. This piece feels like an ancestor of the work of someone like Gerhard Richter, using photography as a form of painting, to make an artwork. It reminds us that art is an ongoing conversation, constantly reshaping our understanding of the world.