Portret van Jac van Looy 1910 - 1920

This vintage photograph is a portrait of Jac van Looy, and like many portraits it seeks to capture something of his essence. I can almost feel the weight of the light on his face. Look at the subtle gradations of tone and the way the light defines the contours of his face. I imagine the photographer carefully adjusting the focus, waiting for the right moment to capture the subject's gaze. What was he thinking in that moment of stillness, his expression caught for all time? Like a painter mixing colors on a palette, the photographer plays with light and shadow to create depth and form. The sepia tone gives the image a warm, nostalgic feeling, like a memory fading with time. Photography and painting, they’re both really just ways of seeing and feeling, aren’t they? It’s so interesting to consider how different techniques can change our understanding of one another.