Portret van een jongen, staand bij een stoel 1860 - 1890

J. Gutierrez created this small portrait of a boy standing by a chair with an early photographic process. It is a poignant and carefully staged depiction, most likely created during a period of immense cultural and social change. Notice the boy’s formal attire. The trappings of bourgeois respectability are all here - the tailored suit, high collared shirt, and carefully styled hair. Yet, there's a stillness, a gravity in his gaze that seems to transcend childhood innocence. The hat placed neatly on the chair might symbolize aspirations of adulthood and perhaps even societal expectations placed upon young males. This image captures a moment in time, encapsulating both the aspirations and the constraints of identity during this era. It invites us to consider the silent narratives embedded within historical portraits.