Portret van een man in een lange jas met een opengeslagen boek in de hand 1859 - 1866

Jacobus van Koningsveld made this portrait of a man in a long coat with an open book in his hand sometime in the mid-19th century. This photographic portrait is most likely of a member of the Dutch middle class. He wears a dark jacket, light trousers and a bow tie, and is presented with an open book. These are visual cues that the sitter is an educated man of means. Photography in the 1800s was becoming more accessible and affordable, which provided a wider range of people with the opportunity to memorialize themselves. This carte de visite provides insight into how people in the Netherlands saw themselves and wished to be seen by others during a time of rapid social and technological change. Examining historical documents, fashion trends, and the history of photography in the Netherlands can help us understand the cultural and social context of this portrait. As historians, our analysis is always rooted in the concrete conditions that shaped artistic production.