Portret van een onbekende man aan een bureau 1855 - 1885

E. Verhassel created this portrait of an unknown man using photographic techniques, capturing a moment in time on a small, rectangular card. The sepia tones and slight blurriness of the photograph speak to the early days of photography, a process still quite novel. Consider the labor involved: from preparing the chemicals, carefully posing the subject, to developing the image. This wasn't a quick snapshot but a deliberate act, a contrast to our image-saturated world today. Looking closely, the man’s clothes and surroundings give us clues about his status, and the social norms that shaped his life. The desk and books suggest he is a man of intellect, yet the relative simplicity of the photograph— compared to painted portraits— hints at the democratization of image-making during this period. By understanding the materials and processes involved, we can better appreciate how this photograph reflects both the individual and the society in which he lived.