Black and White Portraits

The allure of black and white. Color can articulate reality and reflect realism, but taking it away focuses on contrast and the use of monochromatic tone to set an atmosphere that draws the viewer in. This increase in impact has been harnessed by photographers since the first successful black and white images were taken by Joseph Nicephore Niepce in the early 19th century,  leading to further success in 1825 when he managed to produce a black and white image of a window. Naturally colored photographs would not be developed until 1891 when Lipmann Gabriel applied the phenomenon of optical light wave interface. And yet, the black and white photograph continued, particularly in portraiture. Why? Practically, black and white photographs have a longer archival shelf-life but artistically, color isn't needed to capture the emotion, depth, expression and indeed reality through dramatic tone and contrast of the figure in front of the lens. You only need to recant Dorothea Lange's widely circulated Migrant Mother (1936) to see how a single black and white portrait can become a symbol of plight. In our works, artists like Maud Bernos and James Sparshatt favor portraits devoid of color… portraits that draw you the viewer in and leave you to fall into their enduring monochromatic depths.

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Print, Athènes, Yves Brayer

Athènes

Yves Brayer

Print - 28.5 x 32 cm Print - 11.2 x 12.6 inch

$179

Painting, Joey Starr, Hom Nguyen

Joey Starr

Hom Nguyen

Painting - 80 x 80 cm Painting - 31.5 x 31.5 inch

$8,334

Photography, Rebalance, Ali Buhamad

Rebalance

Ali Buhamad

Photography - 40 x 30 x 5 cm Photography - 15.7 x 11.8 x 2 inch

$1,191

Photography, Sillage #4, Cody Choi

Sillage #4

Cody Choi

Photography - 101.6 x 76.2 x 0.1 cm Photography - 40 x 30 x 0 inch

$643

Fine Art Drawings, La Paix, Hom Nguyen

La Paix

Hom Nguyen

Fine Art Drawings - 80 x 60 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 31.5 x 23.6 x 0.4 inch

$14,167

Fine Art Drawings, Woman, Hom Nguyen

Woman

Hom Nguyen

Fine Art Drawings - 80 x 60 cm Fine Art Drawings - 31.5 x 23.6 inch

$11,429

Painting, Amsterdam, Sounya Whang

Amsterdam

Sounya Whang

Painting - 35 x 24 x 0.1 cm Painting - 13.8 x 9.4 x 0 inch

$238

Painting, Trace 40, Sounya Whang

Trace 40

Sounya Whang

Painting - 50 x 65 x 0.1 cm Painting - 19.7 x 25.6 x 0 inch

$500

Photography, DisSimuLaTiO, Louis Blanc

DisSimuLaTiO

Louis Blanc

Photography - 70 x 70 x 1 cm Photography - 27.6 x 27.6 x 0.4 inch

$2,679

Fine Art Drawings, Au Cabaret, Yves Brayer

Au Cabaret

Yves Brayer

Fine Art Drawings - 31 x 23.5 cm Fine Art Drawings - 12.2 x 9.3 inch

$417

Fine Art Drawings, Au Cabaret, Yves Brayer

Au Cabaret

Yves Brayer

Fine Art Drawings - 31 x 23.5 cm Fine Art Drawings - 12.2 x 9.3 inch

$417

Fine Art Drawings, Au Cabaret, Yves Brayer

Au Cabaret

Yves Brayer

Fine Art Drawings - 28.5 x 24 cm Fine Art Drawings - 11.2 x 9.4 inch

$417

Fine Art Drawings, Au Cabaret, Yves Brayer

Au Cabaret

Yves Brayer

Fine Art Drawings - 31.5 x 24 cm Fine Art Drawings - 12.4 x 9.4 inch

$417

Fine Art Drawings, Au Cabaret, Yves Brayer

Au Cabaret

Yves Brayer

Fine Art Drawings - 31.5 x 23.5 cm Fine Art Drawings - 12.4 x 9.3 inch

$417

Painting, Ligne de vie, Hom Nguyen

Ligne de vie

Hom Nguyen

Painting - 150 x 150 cm Painting - 59.1 x 59.1 inch

$26,191

Photography, lusclnuS, Louis Blanc

lusclnuS

Louis Blanc

Photography - 70 x 70 x 1 cm Photography - 27.6 x 27.6 x 0.4 inch

$1,191

Photography, lnvolucruM, Louis Blanc

lnvolucruM

Louis Blanc

Photography - 30 x 30 x 0.1 cm Photography - 11.8 x 11.8 x 0 inch

$1,071

Photography, DeliRiUs, Louis Blanc

DeliRiUs

Louis Blanc

Photography - 30 x 30 x 0.1 cm Photography - 11.8 x 11.8 x 0 inch

$1,667

Photography, facieS, Louis Blanc

facieS

Louis Blanc

Photography - 50 x 50 x 0.1 cm Photography - 19.7 x 19.7 x 0 inch

$1,786

Photography, ContemplatlO, Louis Blanc

ContemplatlO

Louis Blanc

Photography - 50 x 50 x 0.1 cm Photography - 19.7 x 19.7 x 0 inch

$1,191

Photography, facieS, Louis Blanc

facieS

Louis Blanc

Photography - 70 x 70 x 0.1 cm Photography - 27.6 x 27.6 x 0 inch

$2,798

Painting, Femme linge, Sounya Whang

Femme linge

Sounya Whang

Painting - 60 x 80 x 0.1 cm Painting - 23.6 x 31.5 x 0 inch

$821

Photography, Around us, Ali Buhamad

Around us

Ali Buhamad

Photography - 40 x 50 x 5 cm Photography - 15.7 x 19.7 x 2 inch

$500

Painting, Chemin 4, Sounya Whang

Chemin 4

Sounya Whang

Painting - 60 x 50 x 0.1 cm Painting - 23.6 x 19.7 x 0 inch

$619

Photography, 1%, Samuel Cueto

1%

Samuel Cueto

Photography - 120 x 80 x 1 cm Photography - 47.2 x 31.5 x 0.4 inch

$9,524

Photography, Queen lady, Samuel Cueto

Queen lady

Samuel Cueto

Photography - 80 x 120 x 1 cm Photography - 31.5 x 47.2 x 0.4 inch

$7,143

Photography, Dragon, Samuel Cueto

Dragon

Samuel Cueto

Photography - 120 x 80 x 1 cm Photography - 47.2 x 31.5 x 0.4 inch

$7,143

Photography, Silence 2, Samuel Cueto

Silence 2

Samuel Cueto

Photography - 120 x 80 x 1 cm Photography - 47.2 x 31.5 x 0.4 inch

$7,143

Photography, Old days, Ali Buhamad

Old days

Ali Buhamad

Photography - 50 x 40 x 5 cm Photography - 19.7 x 15.7 x 2 inch

$500

Photography, Atrabilis, Nova Doria

Atrabilis

Nova Doria

Photography - 30 x 30 x 1 cm Photography - 11.8 x 11.8 x 0.4 inch

$935

Photography, Jazz, Harry Hammond

Jazz

Harry Hammond

Photography - 76.2 x 76.2 cm Photography - 30 x 30 inch

$982