Portret van een onbekende man c. 1900 - 1920

This is a cabinet card, “Portret van een onbekende man,” made by Louis Devolder in Brussels. It's a photograph, but it’s been worked over in a way that makes you think about painting – that sepia wash, the soft-focus areas around the figure. The way this image has been put together it is a reminder that art making is a process, that involves layering and blending and experimentation. Look at the subtle tonal variations in the background: it’s almost like the artist built up thin glazes of color, one on top of the other, to create depth and atmosphere. There's a real tactile quality to the surface, it’s something between painting and photography. The anonymous sitter has a kind of quiet intensity. I'm reminded of Nadar, or even some of the early modernist portrait painters like Kirchner, who sought to capture the inner life of their subjects. This image offers us a glimpse into a particular time and place, but it also speaks to something universal about the human condition, the way we try to make sense of ourselves and the world around us through art.