Portret van een onbekende man before 1886

Curator: Here we have "Portret van een onbekende man," or "Portrait of an Unknown Man," by Vogel, dating to before 1886. The artwork uses photography as a medium and this is also present on a printed page, as a reference image I would suppose. Editor: Well, looking at this photogravure, the anonymous man projects a strong, albeit understated presence. The contrast between light and shadow emphasizes the depth of the subject, whilst the grainy texture makes one ponder the passage of time. Curator: Indeed, there's an element of modernity here; Vogel used photographic processes for more than mere documentation; note his calculated use of light. You get the feeling that the photographer used many photographic and development tricks to achieve this image. I understand the modernists to attempt portraying their subjects as realistically as possible while trying to represent their ideals. Editor: It's a work that feels strangely disconnected from its social context; a portrait of an unknown man now found bound within a book open as such in our own present day is quite curious. Who was he, what role did he play in society, and how does his anonymity change our encounter with him? We could analyze this print into infinity because of the questions surrounding who he may have been. Curator: From a structural perspective, one cannot fail to appreciate Vogel’s use of composition to center the unknown man on one half of the page and frame his features through light. There's definitely the employment of some tricks with how to bring about the final printed photography, and to create a strong subject presence within this very restricted canvas. Editor: To look beyond form, I feel a connection to this man— perhaps, the unknown subject serves as a stark reminder of mortality, since our time together as audio speakers and museum goers, looking at the subject may quickly and assuredly come to an end.