23 April 1931 1931 - 1934

This photograph, 23 April 1931, was made by Atelier Kurkdjian and shows a man sitting at a desk in a wood paneled room, and it's interesting to notice how the high contrast gives the image a very graphic feel. The photograph has a wonderful interplay of light and shadow. The dark, richly paneled walls contrast with the bright light flooding in through the windows, creating a space that feels both intimate and expansive. The high windows with their leaded glass give a sense of the outside world, but also of something more ornate than you might expect in an office. The man at the desk appears to be the subject of the picture, and yet the overall feeling is of a stage set where he is a supporting character. The picture is an interesting contrast to Gerhard Richter, whose black and white photos were often source material for his paintings; this photo has a similar impersonal feeling. There’s a lot of ambiguity about who took the photo, and how it was staged, and I like the open question that lingers.