Portret van viceadmiraal Joseph-Romain Desfossés 1859

Marie-Alexandre Alophe created this portrait of Vice Admiral Joseph-Romain Desfossés sometime in the 19th century. Alophe was a well-known photographer and lithographer whose career spanned a period of significant social and political change in France, making him a keen observer of the hierarchies of power. Here, Desfossés is not just represented; he's constructed through the visual language of authority. The crisp lines of his uniform, the precise arrangement of his medals, and his calm, composed demeanor, all serve to reinforce his status. The image reflects the values of a society that prized military achievement and social order. Yet, it also subtly invites us to consider the human cost of these ideals. What experiences shaped Desfossés? What did it mean to embody such authority during a period of immense transformation? This portrait is more than a record of a man; it is an invitation to consider the complex interplay between identity, power, and history.