Portret van een man met snor 1890 - 1920

This is a portrait of a man with a mustache, made with photography by Jac. & S. Schotel. The use of light and shadow, it's all about capturing a likeness, but it’s also about the mystery of a fleeting moment frozen in time. The tones in this photograph are so gentle. You can almost feel the texture of the paper, the subtle variations in the gray scales. The subject’s suit and bow tie, so crisp against the soft fade behind him. It reminds me of painting; how a simple line, a single stroke of color, can suggest so much. It's like the photograph has been built up in layers, just like applying glazes. This piece reminds me a little of some of Gerhard Richter’s blurred portraits, not in style, but in the way they both seem to question the nature of representation itself. It's like asking what does it mean to really see someone? What does it mean to capture a moment?