Portret van Henry Lemoine before 1865

Here we have a portrait of Henry Lemoine, captured in a photograph of modest dimensions, by an anonymous hand. Consider Lemoine's attire: the cut of his suit, the cravat tied neatly at his neck. These are symbols not merely of personal taste, but of a rising bourgeoisie, eager to assert itself. We see echoes of this formality in earlier Renaissance portraits, the subjects adorned in their finery to signify status and wealth. This impulse to present oneself in a specific light isn't new, but rather a recurring theme in the human narrative. The photograph aims to immortalize the sitter. It reminds us how symbols, like this mode of dress, continuously evolve and reappear, each time colored by the particularities of its era.