Overlæge C.V. Zahrtmann 1930

Peter Ilsted's portrait of Overlæge C.V. Zahrtmann is a small artwork rendered with shades of grey, somewhere in Denmark, probably in the late 1800s. You can see the doctor with a book in his hands. There is an amazing amount of detail in the folds of the face. How did Ilsted manage to do that? And why? It's a book of life, every crease, every dark shade, every highlight, forming a topography that speaks of experience, contemplation, and maybe a little bit of weariness. I feel for Ilsted, wanting to freeze time, capturing the essence of a person through subtle shifts in tone. Think about all the other artists also exploring the human face, trying to pin down what it means to be seen and known. It's as if artists are always in conversation, trading secrets about how to look, how to see, and how to feel. The practice becomes an exploration and each work a new inquiry.