Portret van een man met snor en baard 1891 - 1914

Jean Günther captured this handsome man with a moustache and beard sometime between 1860 and 1920, though the exact date remains a mystery. This photograph feels like a painting in its tonal range and composition. I imagine Günther carefully setting up the shot, adjusting the light to soften the man’s features, wanting to reveal his subject’s character. Did the man feel nervous as he sat before the camera, hoping he would look his best? What was it like to sit still for so long? There is a softness to this image and a delicacy to the sepia tones. It reminds me of the work of Julia Margaret Cameron. The warmth of the colours makes me want to reach out and touch the surface, to feel the texture of the paper and the subtle variations in tone. It’s easy to imagine the care and attention that Günther put into this portrait, trying to make the image alive. I feel connected to the artist through the work.