Portret van een man in uniform 1905 - 1920

This is "Portret van een man in uniform," made by Pierre Le Breton Sr. sometime in the past, using photography. There is something so interesting about how muted everything is, how little colour there is, but how the composition is very present. It's a world of greys, but look at the way the light falls on his jacket, creating subtle shadows and highlights. I wonder, what kind of camera did he use? I'm drawn to the way the man holds his gloves. This tiny little gesture, feels almost like a painting in itself. There is something quite playful about the composition, a tension between his serious pose and his mischievous moustache. It reminds me of some of the older photographs by Man Ray, in how they create a world of shadows, of shape, and form, that feel both very modern and very, very human. It's a picture that allows for many interpretations and feelings.