Portret van een man 1908 - 1920

This small portrait, "Portret van een man", was made by Willem Christiaan Kroes at some point in his career. It's a photograph, so the mark-making is different, of course, than in a painting. But what strikes me about the image is its stillness. Look at the man’s eyes, slightly unfocused, and the soft gray tones used to depict his face. The slight undulations of the frame almost vibrate around the image, emphasizing the man’s stillness. The physicality of the photograph is really interesting. In the lower register, there is a small horizontal rod. What does this represent? Is it a stand? Or part of the camera? It’s an anomaly, a moment of ambiguity that complicates the otherwise smooth, neutral surface. It reminds me of some of the things Gerhard Richter does in his portraits, obscuring aspects of the sitter's face, so we’re never sure if we are really seeing them. Anyway, it's interesting to think about how Kroes also seems to be playing with what it means to create a portrait.