Portret van een onbekende man met een hoed, een jas en een paraplu 1901 - 1923

David van der Heide made this photograph, 'Portret van een onbekende man met een hoed, een jas en een paraplu,' with the kind of tonal range that gives the impression of soft pencil strokes. He’s gone for a muted, monochromatic palette, which, for me, makes the image feel immediate and intimate. Look at the way the light falls on the man’s face, highlighting his moustache. The backdrop is blurred, almost like a watercolor painting. This has a soft quality that plays against the man's sharp, almost severe, clothing. Notice how the texture of the backdrop seems to fade into the distance, creating a sense of depth that contrasts with the crisp details of his suit. The blurred backdrop almost makes it dreamlike. It reminds me a little of the work of Gerhard Richter. Both artists play with degrees of focus to suggest the elusiveness of memory and perception. Neither wants to state anything too clearly. It’s all about feeling and interpretation. Like all good art, this photograph is not just about what we see, but how we see it.