Portret van Carel Willink in lange witte jas c. 1930

This portrait of Carel Willink in a long white coat was created by an anonymous photographer. What I love about this piece is the mood it creates. It's an intimate glimpse into the sitter's personal space. I get a feeling of him pausing for a moment to allow the photographer to capture an image of him. He’s smartly dressed but I wonder if he is also wearing his painting coat! You can see two paintings in the background behind him. He is surrounded by his work and the tools of his trade. This is a man who is embedded in his practice, his surroundings become part of his extended identity. I can imagine him turning back to his easel to continue working as soon as the photo is taken! The act of making art is always a conversation, one that happens across time, space, and the individual lives of artists. Everyone’s work is an experiment and each piece adds something to the collective knowledge and experience of art making.