Portret van een jongeman 1903 - 1912

Max Piepenhagen created this portrait of a young man with photography. It's very small, just a few inches tall. I can imagine Piepenhagen in his studio carefully arranging the young man, adjusting his bow tie, and smoothing his hair. I wonder what the atmosphere was like. Was the young man nervous or excited to have his picture taken? Did Piepenhagen offer direction, or did he let the young man pose as he pleased? The tones are muted, almost sepia-like. The light is soft, giving the young man a gentle and innocent appearance, but there's something in his eyes that hints at a quiet strength. The picture feels so delicate, so fleeting, like a memory fading at the edges. It reminds us that people from the past were just as real and complex as we are, and that they, too, had stories to tell.