foto c. 1895 - 1925

This photograph by Alphons Diepenbrock captures a portrait of a man. There's a ghostly quality about it, like an apparition from another time. I can only imagine what it was like for Diepenbrock, composing the frame, adjusting the focus, waiting for the light to be just right. Did he feel a sense of connection with his subject, or was it a more detached, technical exercise? The lack of color almost strips away the surface, leaving us with a raw, essential image of a man against nature, a dialogue between presence and absence. It reminds me of early daguerrotypes, images that attempted to capture the soul. I wonder if Diepenbrock was thinking about this history as he made this photograph? Art-making is such an ongoing conversation, and artists are always building upon what came before, interpreting the world through their unique lens. There is always an exchange of ideas and inspiration across time.