Justus Brinkmann 1910

In 1905, Aura Hertwig made this photographic portrait of Justus Brinkmann. It’s got that sepia-toned, Edwardian look that somehow feels old and new at the same time. I wonder what it was like for Hertwig to capture this moment. The soft focus gives it an ethereal quality, doesn't it? You can almost feel her gently coaxing out the light, building up the image layer by layer in the darkroom. She must have been carefully observing Brinkmann, noticing the way the light caught the silvery strands of his beard, and the knowing glint in his eye. It's like a conversation between the photographer and her subject, a dance of observation and revelation. There is a delicate balance between control and chance, intention, and the unpredictable alchemy of the darkroom. The work of other portraitists such as Julia Margaret Cameron comes to mind. Artists are always in dialogue, riffing off each other's ideas, experimenting with different ways of seeing and feeling. And isn't that what art is all about?