Joseph Cheetham poserend naast zijn fiets in Rusland 1903 - 1904

This photograph captures Joseph Cheetham posing with his bicycle in Russia, preserving a moment infused with symbols of modernity and personal identity. Note the wheel, a motif dating back to ancient sun worship, here reinvented as a symbol of progress and technological advancement. It recalls Leonardo da Vinci’s mechanical sketches, embodying human ingenuity. In contrast, the draped fabric behind Cheetham evokes classical portraiture, where drapery signified status and taste. Think of Renaissance paintings, where similar folds marked divinity and power; here, they suggest a more personal aspiration. This juxtaposition of the modern bicycle against the classical backdrop reveals a complex interplay of old and new, progress and tradition, reflecting Cheetham’s place within a rapidly changing world. The photograph becomes a stage, and Cheetham, an actor in the ongoing drama of history.