Portret van twee staande mannen met hoed en wandelstok 1902 - 1920

This photographic print shows two men with hats and walking sticks by Stephanus Adrianus Schotel. Now, I think of artmaking as a dance, a process of call and response between the artist and the material. The sepia tones here, with their limited tonal range, force the artist to make subtle adjustments and decisions. Look at the space between the two figures. It's not just empty; it’s charged with a kind of unspoken tension, almost like they're sharing a secret joke. This area, like a single brushstroke in a painting, affects how we see everything else. There is a warmth to the image, from the brown colour, that suggests a particular time or season. You get the sense that this is an image of real people, not models or actors, making it feel more intimate. This photograph reminds me a bit of August Sander, another portraitist who captured the essence of his subjects. Both photographers understood that art isn't about definitive answers but about embracing ambiguity and inviting multiple interpretations.