Karl Von Bülow 1915

Nicola Perscheid made this photograph of Karl Von Bülow using light and shadow to define form. It's all about value and tone here, where every mark either describes the subject or falls away into an inky black. Look how the light rakes across Von Bülow's face, catching the cheekbone and brow. Perscheid is sculpting with light, not just documenting but creating a drama, and the way the shadows pool around the edges seems very deliberate. This is not a snapshot; it's a constructed reality. It reminds me a little of some portraits by August Sander, where the sitter is revealed through rigorous observation. Both artists seem to be asking questions about identity and representation, about how much we can really know someone from an image. Ultimately, it's an exercise in ambiguity. We're left wondering who this man really was and what secrets he might have held.