Portret van een onbekende man before 1903

This is a portrait of an unknown man by Frederick Hollyer. It's a photograph, set within the pages of a book. I’m thinking about the image, like what was it like to make this photo? Who was this man? What were his feelings? Photography is all about capturing a moment in time, but even in a portrait the image has to be coaxed into being. How much time did this man give to the making of this work? This portrait shares something in common with painting—the composition, the focus on light and shadow, and the way the face is rendered with such care and attention. Photography and painting are in an ongoing conversation, and there is so much care and attention on display in this small image.