Portret van een onbekende man 1902 - 1906

This photograph of an unknown man was taken by Machiel Hendricus Laddé in Amsterdam. It's a small picture, only about 10 centimeters high, but it holds a whole world of process within its monochrome tones. I find myself drawn to the way the light fades around the edges, almost like a halo effect. Look at the subtle gradations in the grey, how they soften the man's features and clothes. The lack of sharp lines makes it almost like a memory trying to materialize. The shadow seems to creep into the man’s figure, blurring the edges. It’s a world away from the sharpness of contemporary photography, but there's something beautiful in that ambiguity, a sense of mystery that reminds me of some of Gerhard Richter’s blurred portraits. Both artists seem to suggest that the act of seeing is never quite as objective as we think it is.