Portret van een man met snor en baard 1853 - 1880

This is an undated portrait of a man with a mustache and beard by Joseph Dupont. Dupont was working during a time when photography was becoming increasingly accessible, yet portraiture remained largely dominated by the white, male middle class. Consider how the sitter’s gaze confronts us directly, yet we know nothing about his life. His clothes position him within a certain social strata, his beard suggesting a fashionable, masculine identity. It's easy to see him as an individual, but also as representative of an era. What stories are not being told in these formal portraits? How does this image reinforce or challenge the visual language of 19th century power structures, and how do these images shape our understanding of history? This image prompts reflection on who is remembered, and how those representations influence our understanding of the past.