Portret van een onbekende man c. 1905 - 1915

This photographic portrait of an unknown man was made by the Cordes brothers, sometime in the late nineteenth century, but the image is not the whole story, the object itself is fascinating. The edges, you see, are not cleanly cut, they're slightly ragged, like a painting that's been worked and reworked. The tonal range, from the darks of the suit to the light areas of the face, gives it a sculptural quality. It reminds me of a Morandi painting, where the careful arrangement of muted tones creates a quiet, contemplative space. Look at the way the light falls on his face, how it models his brow and cheekbones. The texture almost feels like a drypoint etching. The moustache is really striking. The way it is framed and the way it sits on his face makes me think this man had an enormous amount of presence. It's a testament to the Cordes brothers' skill, turning a simple portrait into something quite profound. It reminds me of the portraits of Alice Neel, who found something really raw and vulnerable in her sitters.