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.
Save your search and find it in your favorites
Save your search to find it quickly
Saved search
Your search is accessible from the favorites tab > My favorite searches
Unsaved search
A problem occurred
Traces et signes illumination
Sounya Whang
Painting - 65 x 50 x 2 cm Painting - 25.6 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch
$462
Traces et signes illumination
Sounya Whang
Painting - 65 x 50 x 2 cm Painting - 25.6 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch
$462
Pêcheur de rêve et son chat 42
Sounya Whang
Painting - 30 x 40 x 0.1 cm Painting - 11.8 x 15.7 x 0 inch
$275
Pêcheur de rêve et son chat 44
Sounya Whang
Painting - 30 x 40 x 0.1 cm Painting - 11.8 x 15.7 x 0 inch
$275
Traces et signes illumination
Sounya Whang
Painting - 30 x 40 x 0.1 cm Painting - 11.8 x 15.7 x 0 inch
$275
Pêcheur de rêve et son chat 39
Sounya Whang
Painting - 40 x 30 x 0.1 cm Painting - 15.7 x 11.8 x 0 inch
$275
Traces et signes illumination
Sounya Whang
Painting - 40 x 30 x 0.1 cm Painting - 15.7 x 11.8 x 0 inch
$275
Traces et signes illumination
Sounya Whang
Painting - 40 x 30 x 0.1 cm Painting - 15.7 x 11.8 x 0 inch
$275
Traces et signes illumination
Sounya Whang
Painting - 40 x 30 x 0.1 cm Painting - 15.7 x 11.8 x 0 inch
$275
Traces et signes illumination
Sounya Whang
Painting - 30 x 40 x 0.1 cm Painting - 11.8 x 15.7 x 0 inch
$275
Above the Clouds #3
Cody Choi
Photography - 76.2 x 101.6 x 0.1 cm Photography - 30 x 40 x 0 inch
$911
Above the Clouds #2
Cody Choi
Photography - 76.2 x 101.6 x 0.1 cm Photography - 30 x 40 x 0 inch
$911
Petit moine Ivresse du printemps
Sounya Whang
Painting - 60 x 50 x 0.1 cm Painting - 23.6 x 19.7 x 0 inch
$1,515
Pêcheur du rêve et son chat
Sounya Whang
Painting - 50 x 65 x 0.1 cm Painting - 19.7 x 25.6 x 0 inch
$948
The last ice cream-Violet
Sagrasse
Sculpture - 30 x 11 x 11 cm Sculpture - 11.8 x 4.3 x 4.3 inch
$409
Méditation noir et blanc
Sounya Whang
Painting - 50 x 40 x 0.1 cm Painting - 19.7 x 15.7 x 0 inch
$292
The Last Ice-cream - Green
Sagrasse
Sculpture - 30 x 11 x 11 cm Sculpture - 11.8 x 4.3 x 4.3 inch
$409