Portret van een man, aangeduid als A.B. van Tienhoven 1861 - 1874

This portrait, identified as A.B. van Tienhoven, was made by Albert Greiner. Greiner was active during a period of significant social and political change in the Netherlands. In this portrait, the subject’s gaze and formal attire suggest a man of status and influence. Think about how the emerging middle class sought to assert its identity through portraiture. Photography democratized image-making, yet it also reinforced societal hierarchies. A.B. van Tienhoven, likely a member of this rising class, presents himself in a manner befitting his position. Consider how the act of commissioning such a portrait reflects both personal aspiration and broader cultural values around representation and identity. What can this image tell us about the individual, but also about the society that shaped him?