Portret van acteur Fernandel 1930 - 1950

This photograph of French actor Fernandel was made by Studio Harcourt in Paris in 1946. Harcourt was known for their glamorous black-and-white portraits of celebrities, using soft lighting to create an aura of timeless elegance. Looking at the actor’s smile, it feels larger than life. The way the light catches his teeth seems almost comical, and perhaps that’s the point. The shiny hair too, precisely combed, makes you want to reach out and ruffle it. It's interesting how a photograph, which we think of as capturing a specific moment, can also feel so performative. Every detail, from the polka dot tie to the carefully placed signature, seems designed to create a particular impression. It reminds me a little of the work of Richard Avedon, who also used portraiture to explore the relationship between image and identity. In both cases, there's a sense of artifice, a recognition that the camera is not simply recording reality, but actively constructing it. The photograph leaves us to consider how our perceptions of others are shaped by the images we consume, and how the very act of looking can be a form of interpretation.