Portret van een onbekende jongeman in uniform 1890 - 1891

Editor: This is a photographic portrait, “Portret van een onbekende jongeman in uniform,” created between 1890 and 1891 by J.C. van der List. The young man’s identity is lost to us, which gives the work a sense of melancholic mystery. What symbols or readings strike you when you look at this image? Curator: The symbols speak of a very specific kind of 19th-century masculine identity. Notice the uniform. The tight collar, the structured shoulders, and the elaborate fastenings all speak to duty and order. But look closer – what does that delicate watch chain suggest against the rigidity of the military dress? Editor: That’s interesting… it's a counterpoint of sorts! Perhaps a hint of individuality within the constraints of military life? Curator: Precisely. It’s an intimate, almost domestic symbol juxtaposed with the sternness of his profession. The photograph itself, as a relatively new technology, speaks to a desire for remembrance, for holding onto an image in a rapidly changing world. I would encourage listeners to think about what it meant to fix an image of oneself during this transitional period of history. Who were these photographs intended for and what did the people of the day feel about these depictions? Editor: So the photograph serves as a preserved memory, not just of the man himself, but of the anxieties and aspirations of the time. Thank you for opening up new ways to see this portrait! Curator: And you have me pondering the interplay of private symbols and public identities in the 19th century! It’s these dialogues that keep cultural memory alive.