Zelfportret op zestienjarige leeftijd 1839 - 1909

This is Auguste Danse’s self-portrait at sixteen, an etching. Danse, born in Belgium in 1829, came of age during a time of significant social change, as Europe grappled with industrialization, urbanization, and the rise of new political ideologies. Through the intimate lens of a self-portrait, we see how one young man sought to portray himself in a rapidly changing world. His neatly styled hair and the carefully tied cravat might speak to a desire to present a composed and respectable image to the world. The gaze is steady, hinting at both confidence and introspection. In his inscription, Danse declares the etching "épreuve unique," or a unique impression. There’s an undeniable vulnerability in sharing one's image with the world, particularly in a time when the means of representation were not as ubiquitous as they are today. It’s a statement about the self, about the individual, and about art's capacity to capture a fleeting moment in time.