Portret van P.H. Enkelaar, kruidenier aan de Bemuurde Weerd in Utrecht 1901 - 1910

This portrait of P.H. Enkelaar, grocer in Utrecht, was shot by Anton Cornelis Thomann. It’s a small photograph, and, like a painting, it’s full of tones and shades. Thomann used lighting and pose to create a sense of presence. Look at the way Enkelaar’s dark suit and hat contrast with the lighter background. He is a solid mass, seated and leaning on a cane. You can almost feel the texture of his jacket, the stiff brim of his hat, the patterned wallpaper behind him. The tones give the portrait a timeless quality. Enkelaar’s gaze is direct, confident. This image reminds me a little of those early portraits by artists like Nadar, where the person seems to be looking right through you, or into the future. It’s a quiet, powerful image, full of subtle detail and feeling. It shows how art, whatever the medium, is about opening up new ways of seeing and experiencing the world.