Portret van een (vermoedelijk) Nederlandse militair, staand bij een fiets c. 1895 - 1908

This is an undated photograph by E. v.d. Kerkhoff, showing a possible Dutch soldier with a bicycle. I’m thinking about the moment this photo was taken. How self-conscious the soldier must have felt! He looks quite stiff, doesn't he? But there's also this quiet pride in his eyes. It's amazing how a simple pose can tell you so much. And what about the bike? It's not just a prop; it's a symbol of progress, of new possibilities. Imagine him, maybe just off-duty, cycling through the Dutch countryside, feeling the wind in his face. You can almost feel it too, right? I feel like Kerkhoff wasn't just taking a picture; he was capturing a specific moment in time, full of unspoken feelings. That’s what happens when a great artist connects with their subject, and we get to be part of the conversation.