Portret van een onbekende man before 1903

This portrait of an unknown man was printed in a book using an early photographic process. What strikes me is the limited tonal range, the way the greys flatten the image. It's like the photo is holding back, but maybe that's where the mystery comes from. Look at the detail in his beard; it's soft but also a little blurry. It reminds me that photography isn't just about capturing an image; it's also about the materials and the process. It's like painting in a way; you’re wrestling with the tools and materials to find an image. The overall effect is kind of haunting. Maybe it's because he’s unknown. Thinking about this, I'm reminded of the work of Gerhard Richter, who also used photography in his paintings, blurring the lines between representation and abstraction. Richter and Petzold both remind us that art is always in conversation with the past. And it’s never quite fixed or easy to pin down.