August Schmarsow 1913

This is August Schmarsow, a photograph made by Nicola Perscheid. Now, photography, like painting, is all about how light hits a surface. Here, it's about how Perscheid coaxes light and shadow from his materials. The texture! Look at the way the light catches the wisps of Schmarsow's beard, each hair a tiny, distinct mark. It's a beautiful detail, built up through countless little choices, much like how I build up layers in my paintings. Then there's the contrast with the smooth, almost velvety darkness of his jacket. It's these subtle shifts that give the image its depth, that make it feel so present. I'm reminded of Gerhard Richter’s portraits – that same attention to detail, that same feeling of quiet observation. It's a reminder that art, in any form, is an ongoing conversation, a way of seeing and interpreting the world around us, one little gesture at a time.