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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La montée des eaux
Fabienne Cresens
Photography - 40 x 40 x 4 cm Photography - 15.7 x 15.7 x 1.6 inch
$596
Calligraphing en l'air #6
Cody Choi
Photography - 75 x 50 x 1.5 cm Photography - 29.5 x 19.7 x 0.6 inch
$2,117
La tristeza
James Sparshatt
Photography - 50 x 40 x 0.1 cm Photography - 19.7 x 15.7 x 0 inch
$840 $756
Hombre de la Luna
James Sparshatt
Photography - 50 x 50 x 1 cm Photography - 19.7 x 19.7 x 0.4 inch
$840 $756
Last man standing
James Sparshatt
Photography - 40 x 50 x 0.1 cm Photography - 15.7 x 19.7 x 0 inch
$840
El Dandy
James Sparshatt
Photography - 50 x 40 x 1 cm Photography - 19.7 x 15.7 x 0.4 inch
$1,764 $1,587
American trails
James Sparshatt
Photography - 50 x 75 cm Photography - 19.7 x 29.5 inch
$1,340 $1,206
Dark Materials I
James Sparshatt
Photography - 67 x 100 x 2 cm Photography - 26.4 x 39.4 x 0.8 inch
$2,117 $1,799
Storm over the Altiplano
James Sparshatt
Photography - 50 x 75 cm Photography - 19.7 x 29.5 inch
$1,340 $1,206
Dark Materials VI
James Sparshatt
Photography - 100 x 150 x 2 cm Photography - 39.4 x 59.1 x 0.8 inch
$4,163 $3,539
Dawn over Bagan
James Sparshatt
Photography - 50 x 75 cm Photography - 19.7 x 29.5 inch
$1,623 $1,460
El Revolucionario
James Sparshatt
Photography - 50 x 50 x 1 cm Photography - 19.7 x 19.7 x 0.4 inch
$1,122 $1,010
El caballero
James Sparshatt
Photography - 35 x 35 x 1 cm Photography - 13.8 x 13.8 x 0.4 inch
$1,552 $1,397
Ritmo en el autobus
James Sparshatt
Photography - 50 x 40 cm Photography - 19.7 x 15.7 inch
$840 $756
Dark Materials VIII
James Sparshatt
Photography - 100 x 150 x 2 cm Photography - 39.4 x 59.1 x 0.8 inch
$4,586 $3,899
Waiting for the drums
James Sparshatt
Photography - 40 x 50 x 0.1 cm Photography - 15.7 x 19.7 x 0 inch
$840 $756
La romera
James Sparshatt
Photography - 35 x 35 x 1 cm Photography - 13.8 x 13.8 x 0.4 inch
$840 $756
El campesino
James Sparshatt
Photography - 35 x 35 x 1 cm Photography - 13.8 x 13.8 x 0.4 inch
$840 $756
Mujer de Santiago
James Sparshatt
Photography - 35 x 35 x 1 cm Photography - 13.8 x 13.8 x 0.4 inch
$840 $756
El tabaquero
James Sparshatt
Photography - 35 x 35 x 1 cm Photography - 13.8 x 13.8 x 0.4 inch
$840 $756
La vieja guajira
James Sparshatt
Photography - 35 x 35 x 1 cm Photography - 13.8 x 13.8 x 0.4 inch
$840 $756
Saiorse
James Sparshatt
Photography - 100 x 100 x 2 cm Photography - 39.4 x 39.4 x 0.8 inch
$2,469 $2,100
La pasion
James Sparshatt
Photography - 50 x 40 x 0.1 cm Photography - 19.7 x 15.7 x 0 inch
$840 $756
Soul man
James Sparshatt
Photography - 42 x 60 x 1 cm Photography - 16.5 x 23.6 x 0.4 inch
$840 $756
Silent Dreams
James Sparshatt
Photography - 40 x 50 x 0.1 cm Photography - 15.7 x 19.7 x 0 inch
$840
La furia del manton
James Sparshatt
Photography - 40 x 50 x 0.1 cm Photography - 15.7 x 19.7 x 0 inch
$840 $756
Serenity on the bayou
James Sparshatt
Photography - 45 x 60 cm Photography - 17.7 x 23.6 inch
$840 $756
Dark Materials IV
James Sparshatt
Photography - 67 x 100 x 2 cm Photography - 26.4 x 39.4 x 0.8 inch
$2,117 $1,799
Dark Materials II
James Sparshatt
Photography - 67 x 100 x 2 cm Photography - 26.4 x 39.4 x 0.8 inch
$2,469 $2,100
La montée des eaux
Fabienne Cresens
Photography - 100 x 100 cm Photography - 39.4 x 39.4 inch
$1,311
Jacquelina
James Sparshatt
Photography - 40 x 50 x 1 cm Photography - 15.7 x 19.7 x 0.4 inch
$1,609 $1,448
Dagoberto - Cuba musician
James Sparshatt
Photography - 40 x 50 x 0.5 cm Photography - 15.7 x 19.7 x 0.2 inch
$1,122 $1,010
Puro... alegria
James Sparshatt
Photography - 50 x 40 x 1 cm Photography - 19.7 x 15.7 x 0.4 inch
$2,046 $1,841
Corazon y alma (1)
James Sparshatt
Photography - 55 x 75 x 1 cm Photography - 21.7 x 29.5 x 0.4 inch
$2,921
Mujer de Viñales
James Sparshatt
Photography - 90 x 90 x 2 cm Photography - 35.4 x 35.4 x 0.8 inch
$2,392 $2,153
El Barbudo
James Sparshatt
Photography - 50 x 50 x 1 cm Photography - 19.7 x 19.7 x 0.4 inch
$981 $883
El Dandy
James Sparshatt
Photography - 75 x 55 x 1 cm Photography - 29.5 x 21.7 x 0.4 inch
$2,752 $2,476
Te veo
James Sparshatt
Photography - 35 x 35 x 1 cm Photography - 13.8 x 13.8 x 0.4 inch
$1,122 $1,010
El naufrago
James Sparshatt
Photography - 67 x 100 x 2 cm Photography - 26.4 x 39.4 x 0.8 inch
$2,469 $2,100
Tropicana
James Sparshatt
Photography - 67.5 x 67.5 x 2 cm Photography - 26.6 x 26.6 x 0.8 inch
$1,340 $1,140
Les Vacances V
James Sparshatt
Photography - 100 x 116 x 2 cm Photography - 39.4 x 45.7 x 0.8 inch
$2,752 $2,340
Fellaz on Frenchmen
James Sparshatt
Photography - 40 x 50 cm Photography - 15.7 x 19.7 inch
$1,133 $1,019
Les Vacances IV
James Sparshatt
Photography - 100 x 116 x 2 cm Photography - 39.4 x 45.7 x 0.8 inch
$2,752 $2,340
Les Vacances III
James Sparshatt
Photography - 100 x 116 x 2 cm Photography - 39.4 x 45.7 x 0.8 inch
$2,752 $2,340
Les Vacances II
James Sparshatt
Photography - 100 x 116 x 2 cm Photography - 39.4 x 45.7 x 0.8 inch
$2,752 $2,340
Les Vacances I
James Sparshatt
Photography - 100 x 116 x 2 cm Photography - 39.4 x 45.7 x 0.8 inch
$2,752 $2,340
A Moment with Mario
James Sparshatt
Photography - 42 x 60 cm Photography - 16.5 x 23.6 inch
$1,122 $1,010
Corazon y alma
James Sparshatt
Photography - 40 x 50 x 1 cm Photography - 15.7 x 19.7 x 0.4 inch
$1,013 $912
Graciela
James Sparshatt
Photography - 75 x 55 x 1 cm Photography - 29.5 x 21.7 x 0.4 inch
$3,598 $3,238
The southern gentleman
James Sparshatt
Photography - 40 x 50 cm Photography - 15.7 x 19.7 inch
$1,340 $1,206
Bayou dreaming
James Sparshatt
Photography - 60 x 85 x 0.1 cm Photography - 23.6 x 33.5 x 0 inch
$1,905 $1,714
Bluesman on Beale
James Sparshatt
Photography - 40 x 50 x 1 cm Photography - 15.7 x 19.7 x 0.4 inch
$984 $886
Jacquelina
James Sparshatt
Photography - 55 x 75 x 1 cm Photography - 21.7 x 29.5 x 0.4 inch
$3,755 $3,380
Graciela
James Sparshatt
Photography - 90 x 90 x 1 cm Photography - 35.4 x 35.4 x 0.4 inch
$3,528 $3,175
Spring amidst the beech
James Sparshatt
Photography - 60 x 85 x 0.1 cm Photography - 23.6 x 33.5 x 0 inch
$1,623 $1,460
The house on the marsh
James Sparshatt
Photography - 60 x 85 x 0.1 cm Photography - 23.6 x 33.5 x 0 inch
$1,623