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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Photography, El amor, James Sparshatt

James Sparshatt

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

$834

Painting, Pop Lips, Sagrasse

Sagrasse

Painting - 83 x 83 x 11 cm Painting - 32.7 x 32.7 x 4.3 inch

$1,213

Fine Art Drawings, Au Grand Radeau, Yves Brayer

Yves Brayer

Fine Art Drawings - 20.5 x 29.5 cm Fine Art Drawings - 8.1 x 11.6 inch

$607

Print, Twins, Jaume Plensa

Jaume Plensa

Print - 111 x 101 x 0.02 cm Print - 43.7 x 39.8 x 0 inch

$5,460

Painting, Zikik, Ahmed Art

Ahmed Art

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

$716

Painting, Icare bleu, Hom Nguyen

Hom Nguyen

Painting - 80 x 60 x 3 cm Painting - 31.5 x 23.6 x 1.2 inch

$14,439

Photography, Family, Ali Buhamad

Ali Buhamad

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

$1,213

Fine Art Drawings, Le fil d'Ariane, Hom Nguyen

Hom Nguyen

Fine Art Drawings - 40 x 30 x 2 cm Fine Art Drawings - 15.7 x 11.8 x 0.8 inch

$4,793

Photography, DeliRiUs, Louis Blanc

Louis Blanc

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

$2,123

Print, Untitled, Maria Carbonero

Maria Carbonero

Print - 25 x 42 x 0.1 cm Print - 9.8 x 16.5 x 0 inch

$728

Photography, 4 monkeys, Samuel Cueto

Samuel Cueto

Photography - 40 x 50 x 1 cm Photography - 15.7 x 19.7 x 0.4 inch

$971

Painting, Masque, Charles Lapicque

Charles Lapicque

Painting - 83 x 54 x 0.2 cm Painting - 32.7 x 21.3 x 0.1 inch

$10,920

Photography, Audrey Hepburn, Bridgeman

Bridgeman

Photography - 30 x 24 x 0.05 cm Photography - 11.8 x 9.4 x 0 inch

$303

Photography, Picasso, Gjon Mili

Gjon Mili

Photography - 30 x 24 x 0.05 cm Photography - 11.8 x 9.4 x 0 inch

$303

Fine Art Drawings, Portrait Rêveur, Sounya Whang

Sounya Whang

Fine Art Drawings - 39 x 26 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 15.4 x 10.2 x 0 inch

$194

Photography, Self portrait #1, Cody Choi

Cody Choi

Photography - 75 x 50 x 1.5 cm Photography - 29.5 x 19.7 x 0.6 inch

$4,206

Photography, Glimpse, Alexander Benz

Alexander Benz

Photography - 40 x 40 x 0.1 cm Photography - 15.7 x 15.7 x 0 inch

$558

Painting, Cabecita 1, Pablo Martin

Pablo Martin

Painting - 29.5 x 20.5 x 0.2 cm Painting - 11.6 x 8.1 x 0.1 inch

$546

Painting, Scream, Max Rey

Max Rey

Painting - 110 x 140 x 3 cm Painting - 43.3 x 55.1 x 1.2 inch

$9,525

Print, Under, Sagrasse

Sagrasse

Print - 61 x 41 x 10 cm Print - 24 x 16.1 x 3.9 inch

$704

Sculpture, American Pie, Sagrasse

Sagrasse

Sculpture - 45 x 86 x 10 cm Sculpture - 17.7 x 33.9 x 3.9 inch

$728

Sculpture, Passion, Sagrasse

Sagrasse

Sculpture - 44 x 27 x 7 cm Sculpture - 17.3 x 10.6 x 2.8 inch

$849

Print, Golden Art - DJ, Sagrasse

Sagrasse

Print - 83 x 83 x 3 cm Print - 32.7 x 32.7 x 1.2 inch

$1,638

Photography, La tristeza, James Sparshatt

James Sparshatt

Photography - 50 x 40 x 0.1 cm Photography - 19.7 x 15.7 x 0 inch

$834

Photography, Saudade, James Sparshatt

James Sparshatt

Photography - 40 x 50 x 0.1 cm Photography - 15.7 x 19.7 x 0 inch

$834

Sculpture, Spiteful, Sagrasse

Sagrasse

Sculpture - 37 x 16 x 33 cm Sculpture - 14.6 x 6.3 x 13 inch

$704

Photography, Ensayo, James Sparshatt

James Sparshatt

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

$1,115

Sculpture, American Pie, Sagrasse

Sagrasse

Sculpture - 75 x 100 x 10 cm Sculpture - 29.5 x 39.4 x 3.9 inch

$1,456

Fine Art Drawings, La Masque, Yves Brayer

Yves Brayer

Fine Art Drawings - 24 x 18.5 x 0.3 cm Fine Art Drawings - 9.4 x 7.3 x 0.1 inch

$1,044

Photography, El Dandy, James Sparshatt

James Sparshatt

Photography - 50 x 40 x 1 cm Photography - 19.7 x 15.7 x 0.4 inch

$1,753

Sculpture, Spiteful, Sagrasse

Sagrasse

Sculpture - 37 x 16 x 33 cm Sculpture - 14.6 x 6.3 x 13 inch

$704

Sculpture, Luxury Vandals, Sagrasse

Sagrasse

Sculpture - 60 x 60 x 15 cm Sculpture - 23.6 x 23.6 x 5.9 inch

$1,080

Photography, La Linea, James Sparshatt

James Sparshatt

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

$1,542

Sculpture, Passion, Sagrasse

Sagrasse

Sculpture - 44 x 27 x 7 cm Sculpture - 17.3 x 10.6 x 2.8 inch

$849

Sculpture, Take My Heart, Sagrasse

Sagrasse

Sculpture - 27 x 26 x 4 cm Sculpture - 10.6 x 10.2 x 1.6 inch

$643

Painting, Life is Game, Sagrasse

Sagrasse

Painting - 60 x 60 x 5 cm Painting - 23.6 x 23.6 x 2 inch

$728

Sculpture, Matrix, Sagrasse

Sagrasse

Sculpture - 29 x 26 x 8 cm Sculpture - 11.4 x 10.2 x 3.1 inch

$704

Sculpture, Matrix, Sagrasse

Sagrasse

Sculpture - 29 x 26 x 8 cm Sculpture - 11.4 x 10.2 x 3.1 inch

$704

Painting, Raihana, Ahmed Art

Ahmed Art

Painting - 150 x 100 cm Painting - 59.1 x 39.4 inch

$2,123

Sculpture, Take my Heart, Sagrasse

Sagrasse

Sculpture - 27 x 26 x 24 cm Sculpture - 10.6 x 10.2 x 9.4 inch

$643

Sculpture, Pop Escape, Sagrasse

Sagrasse

Sculpture - 36 x 24 x 22 cm Sculpture - 14.2 x 9.4 x 8.7 inch

$789

Sculpture, Love Love Love, Sagrasse

Sagrasse

Sculpture - 62 x 30 x 30 cm Sculpture - 24.4 x 11.8 x 11.8 inch

$704

Painting, Elégante, Yves Brayer

Yves Brayer

Painting - 24 x 20.5 cm Painting - 9.4 x 8.1 inch

$910

Photography, O prazer, James Sparshatt

James Sparshatt

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

$974

Photography, El caballero, James Sparshatt

James Sparshatt

Photography - 35 x 35 x 1 cm Photography - 13.8 x 13.8 x 0.4 inch

$1,542

Sculpture, Matrix, Sagrasse

Sagrasse

Sculpture - 29 x 26 x 3 cm Sculpture - 11.4 x 10.2 x 1.2 inch

$704

Sculpture, Take my Heart, Sagrasse

Sagrasse

Sculpture - 27 x 26 x 24 cm Sculpture - 10.6 x 10.2 x 9.4 inch

$643

Sculpture, Take my Heart, Sagrasse

Sagrasse

Sculpture - 24 x 23 x 24 cm Sculpture - 9.4 x 9.1 x 9.4 inch

$643

Print, Untitled 2, Jaume Plensa

Jaume Plensa

Print - 105 x 70 x 0.04 cm Print - 41.3 x 27.6 x 0 inch

$5,946