Portret van Willem Jacobus Fockens 1902

This portrait of Willem Jacobus Fockens, made by an anonymous artist, is a small photographic print. It's all about soft focus and understated tones, which reminds me that art-making is so much about what you leave out, not just what you put in. The sepia tones and subtle blurring feel incredibly intimate. You can almost sense the photographer's presence, their eye seeking to capture something essential about Fockens. Look at the way the light catches the edge of his jacket – a tiny detail, yet it gives the whole image a sense of depth and dimension. I wonder if the photographer deliberately softened the image to convey something about Fockens’ character? Perhaps the soft edges and muted palette were meant to suggest a quiet, contemplative soul. It's like looking at a memory, fragile and precious. You could almost compare it to the work of Gerhard Richter, particularly his blurred portraits which also play with memory, creating an atmosphere of nostalgia and ambiguity. It shows that art is always an ongoing conversation and exchange of ideas.