Portret van een man met een snor c. 1912 - 1916

This is a small, monochromatic photo portrait of a moustachioed man, created at an American Automatic Photo Cy. I can imagine the artist behind the camera, playing with light and shadow, coaxing depth and dimension from a limited palette. The subject's face, framed by the dark suit, is really so interesting – the eyes seem to hold a story, a life lived, etched in subtle lines and creases. I am guessing he thought the photo would last and maybe he wanted to show himself as serious, and maybe he was. Thinking about the technical and material side of things, the surface of the photograph has a certain graininess and the subtle tonal shifts create an atmosphere of quiet contemplation. This brings to mind other portraitists, like, say, Alice Neel, who used simple means to capture profound emotional truths. As artists, we’re all in conversation, you know? I’m sure this photographer, like all of us, hoped their work would find an audience, spark a feeling, inspire another artist down the line. It’s kind of beautiful when you think about it like that.