The Society Man (Monsieur Joseph Prudhomme) 1874

Henry-Bonaventure Monnier etched this portrait of Monsieur Joseph Prudhomme in 1874. Note how the gentleman is presented side-on, his eyeglasses perched high on his forehead, his chin enveloped in a pristine white cravat, hands tucked deeply into his pockets. These aren't mere details; they are symbols of bourgeois identity and social aspiration. Consider, for a moment, the cravat. A direct descendent of the Croatian military scarves of the 17th century, it evolved from a practical garment into a potent symbol of status and respectability, reappearing across centuries in various forms. The high collar, which conceals the neck, reflects a similar desire for self-presentation and containment that connects across epochs and cultures; from ancient Roman portrait busts to Renaissance paintings. These symbols, charged with social and psychological weight, tap into our collective memory, triggering responses beyond the purely visual. Monnier masterfully captures the psychological complexity of the modern man, self-assured, yet vulnerable, and deeply etched into the collective psyche of humanity.