Portret van een onbekende man met snor 1900 - 1914

Alfred Förster created this small portrait of an unknown moustached man, probably with a camera. The sepia tones feel heavy, almost melancholic, and I wonder about the process of making this photograph. Was it quick, a swift capture, or did it take time, with lots of waiting and adjusting? I can imagine the photographer, perhaps trying to put the sitter at ease, fidgeting and fixing his tie. The sitter’s gaze is serious, his posture formal, and his left hand confidently on his hip. The photograph is small, almost like a miniature painting. I bet Förster was interested in creating a timeless image, like a conversation that carries on even when the parties are long gone. It reminds me that all artists, no matter their medium, are always in dialogue, building upon each other's ideas, trying to find new ways to make sense of this world, and, crucially, encouraging new creative responses.