Portret van een onbekende man before 1889

Curator: Looking at this portrait, what jumps out at you? To me, it has this lovely quiet quality. Editor: The greyscale, the period clothing, it’s all so very…still. It's like a preserved memory, isn't it? Almost hauntingly so. Curator: That stillness is beautifully captured in what we know as "Portret van een onbekende man," which translates to Portrait of an Unknown Man. Editor: Right, and who was Borgfeldt? Was it all his production? Curator: This captivating gelatin-silver print is attributed to a photographer named Borgfeldt, crafted sometime before 1889. The actual technique of the photographic development is pretty important here! Borgfeldt specifically used magnesium light in the darkroom to make this print, using negatives made by a guy called Rommerdaart. Editor: Knowing magnesium light was used makes me see it differently. Makes me wonder about the choices that he made in creating this image, given the expense and trouble magnesium required back then. Curator: It’s intriguing. And you're right to see that photographic prints have been, for a long time, considered part of this bigger art-world ecosystem. In a way, gelatin-silver prints help blur the lines between craft, labor, and fine art itself. Editor: So true. Looking closer, I appreciate the textural gradients and subtle highlights that lend a distinctive charm to the man's face. There is real artistry, and craft here. Curator: Right. And he’s presented with such a distinctive and beautiful moustache… I feel as though this image encapsulates the artistic movement we consider ‘Impressionism,’ even if this print feels static and frozen. Editor: He appears almost suspended, doesn’t he? Which makes me appreciate this image and Borgfeldt’s technique. Curator: Thinking about it now, that adds another layer of appreciation. Thanks! Editor: And thank you, this photograph made me really reconsider art making!