Portret van H. Bouman, onderwijzer te Beerta c. 1865 - 1870

Carl August Ludwig Reinhardt created this portrait of H. Bouman, a teacher in Beerta. Though the exact date is unknown, the photographic style suggests it was made during a time when photography was becoming more accessible, yet portraiture remained a formal affair, especially for professionals. This image encapsulates the burgeoning sense of middle-class identity and professional pride. Bouman is depicted with a composed demeanor, his attire suggesting respectability and his gaze hinting at the authority he likely commanded in the classroom. In terms of gender and class, it is a statement of identity that reflects the social norms of the time, which were largely patriarchal and class-conscious. Consider the emotional weight of such a portrait, a captured moment intended to convey not just an image, but a sense of self. It reflects the values and aspirations of a society in transition, caught between tradition and modernity.