Portret van een onbekende man met snor 1900 - 1914

Alfred Förster made this photograph of an unknown man with a mustache sometime at the turn of the century. It's printed in tones of sepia, like a memory half-forgotten. Look at the way the light catches the edge of his jacket, barely illuminating the dark fabric. This isn't just about what's depicted; it’s about the mood conjured through the artist’s choices. It’s about texture, shadow, and the way light renders form and atmosphere. The most striking thing is the way the man is framed, a relatively informal pose for a formal portrait. It's like he's caught between worlds, a little off-kilter, a little mysterious. It puts me in mind of August Sander's portraits of German archetypes, but there's something much more intimate about this.