Portret van een onbekende man 1867 - 1888

Johannes Wilhelmus Franciscus Offenberg, a Dutch artist who lived between 1839 and 1919, made this portrait of an unknown man, in an unknown medium. Although we do not know when this portrait was made, we can consider the cultural norms in the Netherlands in the late 19th century. The Netherlands was a constitutional monarchy with a growing economy and a relatively stable political climate. Dutch society was becoming more urbanized and industrialized and class distinctions were very important. Middle-class values emphasized respectability, hard work, and education. Photography studios began to emerge in the Netherlands, and portraits such as this were a way to capture one's likeness and present oneself in a dignified manner. The meaning of art is always contingent on the social and institutional context in which it was created. To understand this artwork better, we might research Dutch social history and the rise of photography studios in the 19th century.