Portret van de latere Generaal-Majoor G.B.T. Wiggers van Kerchem op jonge leeftijd c. 1857 - 1865

This is a diminutive photograph by Woodbury & Page, portraying the future General-Major G.B.T. Wiggers van Kerchem in his youth. The formal composition is structured around a central figure, whose uniform creates a sharp contrast between dark jacket and light trousers. The image is built upon a play of textures and tones, with the crispness of the military attire juxtaposed against a subtly mottled backdrop. The subject’s pose, with hands on hips, introduces a dynamic tension, disrupting the otherwise rigid formality of the portrait. A closer look reveals a semiotic code at work: the military dress and accoutrements signal power, status, and a commitment to service. Yet, the photograph's size and slightly faded quality hint at a fragility, perhaps questioning the permanence of such markers of identity. It invites us to consider how meaning is constructed through the interplay of form and content.