Portret van een onbekende man Possibly 1857 - 1859

Johann Peter Berghaus crafted this portrait of an unknown man using graphite and lithography in the 19th century. The man's attire – a dark suit, waistcoat, and bow tie – speaks to the sartorial codes of the bourgeoisie. He holds a letter in his hands. Consider the motif of the hand holding an object. Throughout art history, hands have been used to convey power, piety, or intellect. From ancient Roman sculptures holding scrolls to Renaissance portraits of scholars with books, the hand becomes a signifier of knowledge and status. The letter held by the man becomes a symbol, a vessel of communication that transcends time. Letters have appeared throughout history, from ancient clay tablets to digital emails, and like images, these embody the non-linear, cyclical progression of symbols. They resurface, evolve, and take on new meanings in different historical contexts.