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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Painting, Méditation, Sounya Whang

Méditation

Sounya Whang

Painting - 15.5 x 12 x 0.5 cm Painting - 6.1 x 4.7 x 0.2 inch

$111

Painting, Amsterdam, Sounya Whang

Amsterdam

Sounya Whang

Painting - 28 x 40 x 0.1 cm Painting - 11 x 15.7 x 0 inch

$292

Painting, Violoniste, Sounya Whang

Violoniste

Sounya Whang

Painting - 30 x 40 x 0.1 cm Painting - 11.8 x 15.7 x 0 inch

$257

Painting, Oiseau 3, Sounya Whang

Oiseau 3

Sounya Whang

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

$409

Painting, Human, Hom Nguyen

Human

Hom Nguyen

Painting - 116 x 81 x 3 cm Painting - 45.7 x 31.9 x 1.2 inch

$19,305

Painting, Oiseau grue, Sounya Whang

Oiseau grue

Sounya Whang

Painting - 30 x 40 x 0.1 cm Painting - 11.8 x 15.7 x 0 inch

$257

Painting, Sieste, Sounya Whang

Sieste

Sounya Whang

Painting - 22 x 15 x 0.1 cm Painting - 8.7 x 5.9 x 0 inch

$129

Painting, Femme, Sounya Whang

Femme

Sounya Whang

Painting - 47 x 35 x 0.1 cm Painting - 18.5 x 13.8 x 0 inch

$304

Painting, Violoniste, Sounya Whang

Violoniste

Sounya Whang

Painting - 30 x 40 x 0.1 cm Painting - 11.8 x 15.7 x 0 inch

$292

Painting, Musiciens, Sounya Whang

Musiciens

Sounya Whang

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

$526

Painting, Amsterdam, Sounya Whang

Amsterdam

Sounya Whang

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

$491

Painting, Thiers, Sounya Whang

Thiers

Sounya Whang

Painting - 37 x 44 x 0.1 cm Painting - 14.6 x 17.3 x 0 inch

$269

Painting, Thiers, Sounya Whang

Thiers

Sounya Whang

Painting - 40 x 30 x 0.1 cm Painting - 15.7 x 11.8 x 0 inch

$257

Painting, Lourdes, Sounya Whang

Lourdes

Sounya Whang

Painting - 40 x 30 x 0.1 cm Painting - 15.7 x 11.8 x 0 inch

$292

Painting, Musiciens, Sounya Whang

Musiciens

Sounya Whang

Painting - 29 x 21 x 0.1 cm Painting - 11.4 x 8.3 x 0 inch

$257