Portret van Willem de Sitter, hoogleraar sterrenkunde 1900 - 1930

This photographic portrait of Willem de Sitter, professor of astronomy, emerged at an unknown time by an anonymous artist. It’s printed in a modest format on paper, likely a single print in monochrome. I can imagine the artist carefully composing the shot, making sure the sitter looks his best—a respectable suit, a neatly groomed beard. The artist coaxes the sitter to reveal a bit of his inner self. I wonder if Willem was thinking about the cosmos, the stars, the vastness of space, while the photograph was taken. It’s hard to tell what kind of person he was, but the image conveys a sense of thoughtfulness, of deep contemplation. Maybe he wasn't aware of it, but the artist captured something essential about the man. It’s kind of like painting, isn’t it? You keep going until something gels.