Portret van een man met snor in uniform 1875 - 1885

Eugene Guérin made this photographic portrait of a moustachioed man in uniform sometime in the late 19th century. The uniform, with its epaulettes and multiple rows of buttons, signifies not just military service but also authority and status within a highly structured social order. In France, where Guérin practiced, the latter half of the 19th century was a period of intense social and political upheaval, marked by the rise and fall of empires and republics. Military personnel played a crucial role both in these conflicts and in maintaining civil order. Photography, still a relatively new medium, offered a way to capture and disseminate images of power. Understanding this image requires us to look at the social and political context of its creation, examining military archives, period newspapers, and other visual materials. By doing so, we gain insight into the complex relationship between art, power, and social identity in 19th-century France.