Dubbelportret van twee onbekende mannen before 1903

This double portrait of two unknown men was made with photography by Th. u. O. Hofmeister. The monochrome print has a lot of contrast, and reminds me of a drawing in charcoal. The two men seem to be in conversation, a kind of intense and private exchange. I wonder what the artist said to them to get such an engaged response? Perhaps they were old friends, or were discussing matters of great importance. The two figures seem to be almost emerging out of a background of dark brushstrokes, which makes them even more arresting. Photography, like painting, can be a form of embodied expression which embraces ambiguity and uncertainty, allowing for multiple interpretations and meanings rather than fixed, definitive readings. In this case, the artist is in an ongoing conversation and exchange of ideas across time, inspiring our own creativity.