25 portretten van Wilhelm II van Duitsland, Konstantin Pobedonostsev, Gaston Serpette en anderen before 1900

This is an advertisement containing 25 portraits including Wilhelm II of Germany, Konstantin Pobedonostsev, and Gaston Serpette, created by an anonymous artist. As a collection of public figures, this artwork is a study in the construction of identity, and the role of photography in creating celebrity. The figures, frozen in formal poses, embody a late 19th century ideal of dignity and social standing. At the same time, the rigid format, and the grid like presentation, strip away their individuality, reducing them to types. Consider Wilhelm II, the German Emperor, whose leadership was defined by militarism and nationalism. Next to him, we find Gaston Serpette, a French composer, representing a world of art and entertainment. What happens when these figures are placed side by side? This juxtaposition raises questions about the values and aspirations of the time. This work reminds us that identity is not simply an individual construct, but is shaped by cultural expectations, and historical forces.