Portret van een jonge man in kostuum, aangeduid als H.M. Hijmans 1860 - 1905

Editor: Here we have "Portret van een jonge man in kostuum, aangeduid als H.M. Hijmans," a photographic portrait created sometime between 1860 and 1905 by Jan Goedeljee. I find the attire fascinating. What stories do you think this period costume tells? Curator: This is a splendid example of staged portraiture. Notice how the sitter is deliberately posed, and costumed in what appears to be a historicizing outfit. We might ask, why this conscious reaching back to another era? Consider the cultural memory this evokes – perhaps a romantic idealization of the past, a yearning for perceived chivalry and grandeur. What emotional associations does the sword evoke for you? Editor: Definitely power and perhaps a bit of old-world formality, or even role-playing? Curator: Exactly. The deliberate anachronism becomes a symbolic act. What about the neutral backdrop? It avoids a concrete setting and allows the viewer to focus on the figure and his implied narrative. In your opinion, does the image have a timeless quality to it? Editor: The backdrop, and the almost theatrical presentation of the subject, feels deliberate and studied; it evokes a character from a play more than reality. Curator: Precisely. Photography, even then, had the power to construct realities, or perhaps, better put, to visually perpetuate stories about who we wish to be, both as individuals and collectively. Editor: So, the symbols in this photograph reach far beyond just documenting an individual. Thank you, that was truly insightful! Curator: Indeed. It is a valuable reminder that every image carries a legacy of symbolism.