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

El amor

James Sparshatt

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

$817

Fine Art Drawings, Au Grand Radeau, Yves Brayer

Au Grand Radeau

Yves Brayer

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

$578

Print, Twins, Jaume Plensa

Twins

Jaume Plensa

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

$5,201

Painting, Zikik, Ahmed Art

Zikik

Ahmed Art

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

$682

Photography, Family, Ali Buhamad

Family

Ali Buhamad

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

$1,156

Painting, Trois visages, Hom Nguyen

Trois visages

Hom Nguyen

Painting - 180 x 180 x 4 cm Painting - 70.9 x 70.9 x 1.6 inch

$52,014

Painting, Elégante, Yves Brayer

Elégante

Yves Brayer

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

$867

Painting, Pop Lips, Sagrasse

Pop Lips

Sagrasse

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

$1,156

Sculpture, Luxury Vandals, Sagrasse

Luxury Vandals

Sagrasse

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

$1,029

Painting, Masque, Charles Lapicque

Masque

Charles Lapicque

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

$10,403

Photography, 4 monkeys, Samuel Cueto

4 monkeys

Samuel Cueto

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

$925

Photography, DeliRiUs, Louis Blanc

DeliRiUs

Louis Blanc

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

$2,023

Fine Art Drawings, Sans Repères, Hom Nguyen

Sans Repères

Hom Nguyen

Fine Art Drawings - 150 x 150 x 4 cm Fine Art Drawings - 59.1 x 59.1 x 1.6 inch

$30,515

Photography, Audrey Hepburn, Bridgeman

Audrey Hepburn

Bridgeman

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

$289

Photography, Picasso, Gjon Mili

Picasso

Gjon Mili

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

$289

Fine Art Drawings, Portrait Rêveur, Sounya Whang

Portrait Rêveur

Sounya Whang

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

$185

Photography, Glimpse, Alexander Benz

Glimpse

Alexander Benz

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

$532

Painting, Scream, Max Rey

Scream

Max Rey

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

$9,074

Painting, Cabecita 1, Pablo Martin

Cabecita 1

Pablo Martin

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

$520

Photography, Saudade, James Sparshatt

Saudade

James Sparshatt

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

$817

Photography, Ensayo, James Sparshatt

Ensayo

James Sparshatt

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

$1,091

Photography, El Dandy, James Sparshatt

El Dandy

James Sparshatt

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

$1,716

Photography, La Linea, James Sparshatt

La Linea

James Sparshatt

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

$1,510

Print, Le balcon, Yves Brayer

Le balcon

Yves Brayer

Print - 32.8 x 24.2 cm Print - 12.9 x 9.5 inch

$694

Fine Art Drawings, La Masque, Yves Brayer

La Masque

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

$994

Print, Untitled 2, Jaume Plensa

Untitled 2

Jaume Plensa

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

$5,664

Photography, La romera, James Sparshatt

La romera

James Sparshatt

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

$817

Photography, Saiorse, James Sparshatt

Saiorse

James Sparshatt

Photography - 100 x 100 x 2 cm Photography - 39.4 x 39.4 x 0.8 inch

$2,402

Painting, Raihana, Ahmed Art

Raihana

Ahmed Art

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

$2,023

Photography, La pasion, James Sparshatt

La pasion

James Sparshatt

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

$817

Photography, Soul man, James Sparshatt

Soul man

James Sparshatt

Photography - 42 x 60 x 1 cm Photography - 16.5 x 23.6 x 0.4 inch

$817

Fine Art Drawings, Au Cabaret, Yves Brayer

Au Cabaret

Yves Brayer

Fine Art Drawings - 30 x 21 cm Fine Art Drawings - 11.8 x 8.3 inch

$636