Reproductie van een ets van Jean-Baptist Carpeaux door Augustin Mongin before 1882

This photograph by Lemercier reproduces an etching of Jean-Baptist Carpeaux by Augustin Mongin. The subdued monochrome immediately evokes a sense of historical distance, but look closer, it reveals a complex interplay of form and content. The portrait is framed by an ornate oval border, itself contained within a rectangular frame, which creates a hierarchy of representation. The oval softens the rigid geometry of the rectangle, suggesting a tension between classical ideals and the burgeoning naturalism of the 19th century. Carpeaux’s gaze is directed slightly off-center, creating a dynamic imbalance that prevents the image from becoming static or overly formal. The texture, captured by Lemercier’s lens, emphasizes the materiality of the original etching, highlighting the contrast between the smooth, idealized face and the rougher, more expressive rendering of the beard and clothing. This tension between surface and depth, representation and reality, encourages us to question the nature of portraiture and the strategies through which identity is constructed and conveyed.