Portret van een onbekende man c. 1895 - 1915

This portrait of an unknown man was made by Wilhelmus Johannes van Pampus, who was working in Amsterdam in the late 19th and early 20th century. Looking at this image, I imagine the scene in the photographer's studio. The subject is posed, maybe a little stiff, in his suit. It makes me wonder about the sitter. Was this portrait for someone special, or was it just for himself? Maybe it was a gift for his wife. The photograph is small, intimate. There’s a simplicity here that's really powerful. You can see the texture of the paper, feel the weight of the past. These old photos have something special – it’s like they're whispering stories to us. It's a piece of someone's life, captured in a moment. And now, it's here for us to see. I always think about how artists are in an ongoing conversation, inspiring each other across time. This portrait is a reminder of that connection.