Portret van een jongeman met een strikje en een jas c. 1850 - 1900

This is a mounted portrait of a young man, captured by the photographer Ledeboer. Although undated, the formal attire and photographic style suggest it was taken in the late 19th century. The young man is dressed in a suit with a bow tie, indicative of the era's middle-class fashion. His gaze is direct, yet there's a softness in his expression that hints at vulnerability. It’s interesting to consider what presenting this image to a photographer meant at this time, and how the subject may have felt. Portraits like these were often commissioned to signify social status, commemorate a special occasion, or simply preserve a likeness for posterity. As we look at this image today, we might reflect on how photography democratized portraiture. In contrast to painted portraits reserved for the wealthy elite, photography provided a means for a wider range of people to participate in image-making and self-representation. This portrait, therefore, is not just a picture of an individual but also a document of a changing social landscape.