Gumercindo Lisboa Supports his Family by Working as a Migrant Laborer on Paolo's Farm near the Grande Sertão Veredas National Park, Brazil Possibly 1999 - 2001

This intense portrait of Gumercindo Lisboa was made by Fazal Sheikh, in an unstated year. The image feels old, like a vintage photograph. The grayscale image allows for deep contrast and texture to come to the fore. I feel the artist’s gaze, almost like a painter staring intensely at their subject, trying to find the best way to render the scene. I imagine Fazal, with his camera, carefully observing Gumercindo, his eyes filled with a mix of curiosity and empathy. The depth of the portrait pulls me in, and the intense stare feels as though it is penetrating my soul. You get the feeling that nothing is being hidden. When an artist makes a portrait, they are in conversation with all other portrait makers of the past and present. They draw on existing ideas and traditions, while at the same time pushing the boundaries of the genre.