Portret van de heer Millenger c. 1863 - 1866

This photographic portrait by Abdullah Frères captures Mr. Millenger in a formal pose, his gaze direct. The fez he wears is not merely a hat; it's a symbol laden with historical and cultural weight. Originating as a North African headdress, the fez gained prominence in the Ottoman Empire, becoming a marker of modernity and Ottoman identity during the 19th century. We see echoes of this adoption in portraits across Europe and beyond, where individuals donned the fez to signal cosmopolitanism, and engagement with a broader world. Yet, like all symbols, the fez is not static. Its adoption by various groups, from soldiers to scholars, imbued it with shifting meanings, a chameleon adapting to its wearer's context. The power of symbols resides in their ability to evoke subconscious associations, triggering emotions and memories that bind us to a collective past. Thus, the fez, in its cyclical journey through history, resurfaces here, carrying whispers of empires, reforms, and the ever-evolving dialogue between East and West.