Portret van een man met snor 1892 - 1930

Jacobus Johannes de Haan made this small portrait of a man with a mustache some time in the late 19th or early 20th century. Look at those delicate gradations of tone! I imagine de Haan, squinting, trying to capture the light just so. The way it hits the cheek, the glint in the eye, the shadow under that magnificent mustache. He probably chose a high vantage point to capture the planes of the sitter's face. It's a quiet, contemplative piece. So intimate and human. The artist's presence feels so strong in the work. It reminds us that portraiture is not just about capturing a likeness, it's about a conversation between artist and subject, and the way they see each other. Every portrait is also a self portrait of sorts. Artists are always in dialogue, riffing off each other, finding new ways to see and represent the world.