Portret van Oscar Bernadotte, prins van Zweden en Noorwegen 1880 - 1900

This is a portrait of Oscar Bernadotte, Prince of Sweden and Norway. The anonymous photograph presents a symmetrical arrangement, with the prince centered and framed by sharp, ruled lines. The sepia tones and the rigid lines contrast with the delicate handwritten caption below. The prince's gaze is directed off-center, creating a dynamic tension that destabilizes the formal composition. His elaborate uniform is presented through a play of light and shadow that emphasizes texture and detail. The careful construction of the image, with its interplay of formal geometry and human presence, mirrors the structural hierarchies of royal portraiture. This photograph operates within a semiotic system, where clothing, pose, and setting communicate the subject's status. The prince's uniform is not merely decorative but functions as a signifier of power and authority. The photograph, therefore, acts as a cultural document, reflecting and reinforcing societal norms of representation and power.