Portret van een man in militair uniform, aangeduid als John McKenzie 1881 - 1900

Kusakabe Kimbei produced this portrait of a man in military uniform, possibly John McKenzie, using albumen silver print. The visual impact of this photograph lies in its composition, which is both formal and revealing. The subject, centered within an oval frame, strikes a pose of relaxed authority; one hand rests on his hip, while the other holds gloves. The rigid symmetry of his uniform, with its double rows of buttons, contrasts with the soft, almost painterly quality of the light. Kimbei’s choice of albumen silver enhances the tonal range of the image, from the deep blacks of the uniform to the subtle gradations of the face. The photographic surface, smooth yet textured, invites a reading of the image that goes beyond mere documentation. The oval frame and the hand-applied tinting add layers of artifice, disrupting any straightforward reading of the photograph as a neutral record. It challenges notions of photographic truth, prompting questions about the cultural construction of identity and representation in the late 19th century.