Portret van prins Frederik in uniform 1875 - 1881

This is Maurits Verveer’s portrait of Prince Frederik, an albumen print mounted on card. The composition is dominated by the oval format, which encloses the stern figure of the Prince in his military uniform. The sepia tones create a sense of gravity, with the texture of the print adding depth to the details of the uniform. The play of light and shadow subtly models the Prince’s face, drawing our eye to his direct gaze. Verveer uses the semiotics of portraiture to convey status. Note the rigid posture, the meticulous arrangement of medals and decorations, and the sword—each element a signifier of power and nobility. The photograph’s surface, with its delicate imperfections, disrupts any sense of flawless representation, reminding us of the materiality of the image itself. It challenges notions of fixed identity and invites us to consider how meaning is constructed through the interplay of visual signs and historical context. Consider how the formal qualities of the print—its tone and composition—function not just aesthetically, but as part of a larger discourse about representation, power, and identity in 19th-century portraiture.