Silhouetportret van Johannes Henricus IJssel Groothuis 1848 - 1862

Pieter Barbiers IV created this silhouette portrait of Johannes Henricus IJssel Groothuis using paper. Silhouette portraits were particularly popular in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, offering an affordable alternative to painted portraits for the middle class. Consider the cultural context: in a time when social status was visually communicated through dress and portraiture, this silhouette flattens identity into a stark binary of black and white. The very act of reducing a person to their outline raises questions about visibility, representation, and the gaze. What does it mean to be seen, but only in outline? How does this relate to broader questions of who gets to be fully seen and recognized in society? The silhouette invites us to reflect on the complexities of identity.