Portret van een onbekende man in het uniform van een officier van het Korps Rijdende Artillerie uit 1793 before 1893

This photograph from 1793, taken by Carel Eduard Westerborg, captures an unknown man in the uniform of an officer of the Korps Rijdende Artillerie. The image, constrained by its black and white tones, relies heavily on form to convey its subject. The officer's stark figure is the primary focal point, a study in contrasts between light and shadow that defines his uniform and bearing. The composition places him centrally, but his gaze is directed off to the side, disrupting a straightforward reading of power. The cutlass at his side introduces a diagonal line, breaking the verticality of his posture. Consider how the portrait, though ostensibly a record, subtly destabilizes fixed notions of authority through its artistic arrangement. The man’s averted gaze and the sword's angular interjection complicate any singular interpretation. This photograph, while historically grounded, invites us to ponder the complexities of representation itself.