Portret van Carel Willink in lange witte jas c. 1930

This photograph of Carel Willink in a long white coat comes to us anonymously, printed in monochrome with a tight crop. It's small but rich with detail. The anonymous photographer is working with light and shadow, and even though it's a photograph, you can see the physicality of the process, the way they must have worked in the darkroom to build up the tonal contrasts and create the image that they want. There is a depth to this image because of that attention to detail. Look at the way the light falls on his face, casting a shadow on one side, and how that contrasts with the bright white of his coat. And then there are the textures, from the weave of his suit to the soft focus of the paintings behind him, all rendered with a sensitive eye. It is a considered image, the process is visible and it reminds me of the approach to image making by someone like Gerhard Richter. The photograph asks us to slow down, to really look, and to appreciate the beauty in the everyday.