Portrait of the Young Writer Lodewijk van Deyssel c. 1889

This is George Hendrik Breitner’s photograph of the young writer Lodewijk van Deyssel, now held in the Rijksmuseum. Breitner, living between 1857 and 1923, captured a moment in time that reflects the cultural and intellectual ferment of his era. Consider the position of both men in society. Breitner, deeply involved in Amsterdam's art scene, sought to capture the essence of modern life. Van Deyssel, a rising literary figure, embodied the changing landscape of Dutch literature. The photograph itself can be seen as a document of male intellectual culture. It reflects both the intimacy and the constructed performance of masculinity within artistic circles. How might we interpret the absence of women in this exchange? Whose stories are not being told? Whose perspectives are silenced in this representation of artistic and intellectual life? This image invites us to reflect on the power dynamics inherent in representation and the importance of questioning dominant narratives.