Portret van een man met snor en vlinderstrik 1892 - 1906

Machiel Hendricus Laddé captured this sepia-toned photographic portrait of a man with a moustache and bow tie. The moustache, a potent symbol of virility and social standing, stretches back through centuries. Think of the ancient Assyrian kings, their sculpted beards announcing power. Or consider its echo in the 19th-century European officer class, exuding authority and dominance. The bow tie, initially a practical neckwear, evolved into a signifier of sophistication and professional identity. This garment speaks of a deliberate self-presentation, a desire to project a certain image. Consider how these symbols shift across time. What was once a mark of the military elite becomes a fashion statement, democratized yet still carrying echoes of its original meaning. The photograph captures not merely an individual, but a moment in the ongoing life of these symbols. We can sense a psychological tension between inherited meanings and individual expression. The symbols continue their journey, ever transformed, eternally returning.