Portret van een man 1897 - 1912

Adriaan Boer took this photograph of a man at an unknown date. It is part of an album of small photographs. Looking at this image, I imagine the photographer and his subject, their relationship. Was there a friendship, a love, or was it a business transaction? I imagine what the weather was like that day. The light is muted and soft, so I imagine a cloudy day. The man in the portrait wears a wide collar and dark suit, and you can see that Boer has positioned him to catch the light on his face. The tones are dark and light, and it feels immediate. It reminds me of early portrait photography. Boer and other photographers were in an ongoing conversation with painters and other artists. The exchange of ideas across time inspires creativity!