Portret van een onbekende man op een paardenkoets c. 1900 - 1910

This is an anonymous photograph, “Portret van een onbekende man op een paardenkoets,” by Panajou. Looking at it, it feels so muted, a bit like looking at an old memory. Everything is toned down, a limited range of sepia, which means it isn't really about colour. It’s all about tone and value, and how those tones create shape and form. The photograph feels like a drawing: the quality of line is amazing. The edges of the horse and carriage fade into the background, and the whole thing has a soft, hazy quality. The details are soft and blurred. Look at the way the lines of the carriage wheels, or the harness are described. They are very specific and sharp. It's so detailed, which makes me think about realism versus abstraction, because it's both at the same time. This picture reminds me of Gerhard Richter’s blurred photos, or maybe even a Corot landscape. Like those, it is more about feeling and memory than representation.