Portret van een onbekende man before 1902

This portrait of an unknown man was made by L. Chastellain, we don't know when, or with what. What strikes me is the composition, it's so very simple, but so effective, too. The palette is monochromatic - shades of gray. Looking at this piece is like watching an old movie - its as if the surface has aged with time. The man's hand props up his head, deep in thought or perhaps simply weary. I wonder about his story. The beard is the star of this show - a cascade of white against his dark jacket, full of character, its details are very fine, a true feat in monochromatic rendering. This reminds me a bit of the stark portraits by Gerhard Richter, who also reveled in the ambiguity of representation. Ultimately, art is an ongoing conversation, an echo through time.