Portret van G. de Bruyn 1868

Joseph Schubert created this lithograph, "Portret van G. de Bruyn", in the Netherlands, sometime in the mid-19th century. The portrait depicts a man in military uniform, and was dedicated to the Captain of the Civic Guard. In nineteenth-century Europe, the rise of the middle class spurred a market for portraiture. Lithography allowed for affordable reproduction and wider distribution. Civic Guards played a vital role in maintaining local order and were often composed of middle-class citizens. Creating and displaying images of guards could be a form of civic pride, reinforcing social hierarchies while also celebrating local participation in governance. To further understand this image, one might research the history of the Civic Guard in the Netherlands, the role of lithography in shaping public image, and the social status of military officers. Art history helps us understand that the meaning of art is always linked to its social and institutional context.