Portret van een onbekende jongen met hoed en stok 1884 - 1902

This photograph, created by Eugène Fontaine, captures an unknown boy with a hat and a stick. The boy's sailor suit, complete with a white-trimmed collar and decorative lanyard, speaks volumes of the era's fascination with maritime culture and childhood innocence. The stick he holds, however, is a more complex symbol. In older times, the staff was a mark of authority, seen in the hands of rulers, shepherds, and even deities. Here, in the grasp of a child, it hints at a longing for control, a foreshadowing of the responsibilities he will one day assume. We can look back at classical depictions of Hermes, the messenger of the gods, whose caduceus, a staff entwined with snakes, symbolized diplomacy and power. This boy's simple stick may seem worlds apart, but it echoes that ancient desire for influence, for a guiding hand in the world. It’s a thread in the grand tapestry of human expression, an archetypal symbol that continues to resonate through the ages.