Portret van een staande man in uniform 1872

This is a portrait of a standing man in uniform by Karol Divald. The sepia tones and small scale of the photograph lend it an intimate, almost nostalgic quality. The composition is rigidly structured, with the man positioned centrally against a backdrop of carefully arranged props, including a table draped with a patterned cloth, a classical statue and a bookcase. The subject’s stance and uniform, along with these items, signify power, knowledge, and a connection to cultural heritage. We might consider this image through the lens of semiotics, where the uniform and objects function as signs, conveying messages about identity, status, and cultural values. The photograph operates within a system of codes that reflect the social and cultural norms of its time. In this context, Divald's work is not merely a representation of an individual, but a structured arrangement of signs that communicate specific meanings within a given cultural framework. The photograph challenges fixed meanings, instead engaging with ways of thinking about perception, power, and representation.