Mand med hat og cigar 1881

This is Frans Schwartz’s small etching of an older man with a hat and cigar. Schwartz, who lived from 1850 to 1917, was working during a time of shifting social structures and evolving ideas about masculinity. Looking at this man, we can ask, what does it mean to portray a figure of authority at this time? The cigar, the hat, the stern gaze – these were all symbols of power and status in late 19th-century European society. But, Schwartz's rendering also reveals a vulnerability. The lines etched into the man's face speak of age, experience, and perhaps, the weight of the world. The emotional resonance of this piece lies in the tension between the man’s outward presentation of power and the subtle indications of his inner life. It invites us to consider the multifaceted nature of identity, shaped by both societal expectations and personal experience. Does this image reinforce traditional notions of masculinity, or does it offer a more nuanced perspective?