Ferdynand Radziwiłł 1914

This portrait of Ferdynand Radziwiłł was captured by Nicola Perscheid, who was thinking, "How do I make this guy come alive with light and shadow?" I see the way Perscheid crafted light into form, especially the luminous planes of the face contrasted with the dark suit. It's all about revealing the volume of the sitter. You know, he's basically painting with light, sculpting the image like a three-dimensional object. I bet Perscheid wanted to get beyond the surface, to capture something essential about Radziwiłł, his intellect, his presence. The way he brings out the texture of the skin, you can almost feel the history etched into his face. Photography at this time really wanted to be taken seriously as an art, and I can see Perscheid’s deep conversation with painting!