Portret van een jongeman 1894 - 1920

Anton Cornelis Thomann made this photographic ‘Portret van een jongeman’. The young man is framed like an old painting, set within a sepia-toned mount. Look how his eyes don't quite meet yours, his gaze is soft and slightly averted, which somehow makes him more present. I wonder, what was he thinking? Thomann has captured a very specific moment. Like when you see a painter in the street, quickly sketching someone, trying to capture a moment in time. I like to think that Thomann felt that pressure to preserve this young man’s likeness. Photography is a wonderful medium for holding onto a feeling, intention, or memory. As artists, we are always trying to capture something, whether it be a moment or a feeling, it's about holding onto something ephemeral.