Portret van een man 1710 - 1772

This is Petrus Johannes van Reysschoot’s "Portret van een man," made sometime in the 18th century. During this period, portraiture was often used to convey status and identity, particularly amongst the aristocracy. Here, we see a man adorned in a large wig and elaborate clothing, markers of wealth and social standing during the 1700s. This image exists in the context of a society deeply stratified by class. Dress, pose, and presentation all collaborated to communicate power and prestige. But it also invites questions about the nature of identity itself. How much of who we are is performative, dictated by societal expectations? How do these external markers shape our internal sense of self? Consider the emotional weight of maintaining such an image, and what it means to present a carefully constructed version of oneself to the world. How do the visual cues in the portrait tell us about the personal and societal pressures of the sitter?