Portret van een onbekende man c. 1862 - 1899

Willem Gerhardus Kuijer, an Amsterdam-based photographer, captured this image of an unknown man on a carte-de-visite, sometime in the late 19th century. It was a time of burgeoning photographic technology and expanding notions of identity. This man, likely a member of the bourgeoisie, presents himself in formal attire. His gaze is direct, but his identity is concealed, representing both the power and the anonymity of photographic portraiture. The photograph operates within the historical context of the Industrial Revolution, where the middle class gained prominence and sought ways to represent themselves. How does this image shape our understanding of 19th-century Dutch society? While the subject's individual story remains a mystery, the portrait serves as a potent reminder of the period's cultural values. This work invites us to reflect on how images shape personal and collective identities, especially during transformative periods of social and technological change.