Portret van een onbekende man op een ligbed 1913 - 1920

This is an interesting photograph of a man lying on a daybed, taken by Fong & Co. We don’t know the date, but it has a timeless quality. I love the way the composition is structured around rectangles; the picture frame within the photograph, the rectangular fireplace on the back wall, and the lamp which is also sort of rectangular. It makes me think about how photography creates its own world within the world. The act of selecting and framing. The wicker sofa looks very comfortable. I like how the picture asks us to consider how we like to relax. I wonder what the sitter was thinking about as he waited for the exposure to be made. I imagine this photograph relates to other portraits by Fong & Co. I bet the person who sat for this photo was happy to see it. It’s almost like a painting, the way the picture is composed.