Portret van de beeldhouwer Jozef Geefs, halffiguur 1861

This is a portrait of the sculptor Jozef Geefs by Joseph Dupont, a monochromatic photograph. It presents a study in the contrast of light and shadow, immediately drawing our attention to the sitter's expression. The photograph is striking in its semiotic representation of the sitter; note the way the subject's form fills the frame. The angle at which the artist has chosen to photograph Geefs, with arms crossed, suggests an attitude of self-assuredness. The formal composition, employing a restricted tonal range, enhances the textural details of Geefs’s hair and beard. The choice of medium, photography, serves not only to capture a likeness but also to investigate ideas around representation and reality, which were being actively explored during this time. The photograph invites us to consider the relationship between the artist, subject, and viewer within the broader cultural and philosophical context of 19th-century portraiture.