Portret van een man 1840 - 1880

Johannes Tavenraat made this portrait of a man with pen in brown ink around the mid-19th century in the Netherlands. Consider the role of portraiture in the 19th century. With the rise of the middle class, portraiture became less about commemorating the aristocracy and more about capturing the individual. This detailed drawing, with its focus on the man's distinct profile, speaks to this shift. But what does it mean to capture an individual? Is it simply about recording their likeness, or is it about something more profound? To truly understand this work, one would need to delve into the social and artistic norms of 19th-century Netherlands. What were the expectations for portraiture? How did artists navigate the changing social landscape? By exploring these questions, we can begin to grasp the true significance of this seemingly simple drawing.