Portret van een man op een stoel, met aan zijn voeten een hond 1892 - 1930

Jacobus Johannes de Haan made this small portrait of a seated man with his dog. It's a study in sepia tones, from the man's dark suit to the furry friend at his feet, all rendered with an eye for capturing texture and character. The art feels so process-oriented, like an exploration of light and shadow. The sepia palette gives it a timeless quality, but it’s the details that really grab me. Notice the way the light catches the edge of the man's moustache, it’s almost sculptural. And then there's the dog, its fur a soft, dark mass. The artist really seems to be relishing the tactile quality of the coat. It's as if he built the form through touch as much as sight. This image shares the photographic portraiture of artists like Nadar and Julia Margaret Cameron, who were also exploring photography's ability to reveal personality and emotion. Ultimately, it's a reminder that art is always in conversation with itself, with artists borrowing, responding to, and reimagining the ideas of those who came before.