Portret van een staande man 1860 - 1890

This albumen print by G. and R. Lavis captures a standing man, a typical subject of 19th-century portraiture. Looking at this image, we can delve into the social conventions of the time. Made in the Netherlands, photography in this period was becoming increasingly accessible, yet it remained a medium largely for the middle and upper classes. The man’s pose and attire – arms crossed, formal suit – speak to a desire for respectability and social standing. The props are a clue, too: the ornate cabinet and books suggest education and affluence, signifiers of bourgeois identity. The history of photography is intertwined with the rise of consumer culture and the democratization of portraiture. By studying photographic archives and social histories, we can understand how images like these helped to shape perceptions of class, gender, and identity in the 19th century.