Portret van een man met snor en baard 1878 - 1889

Jean Leplat captured this image, "Portrait of a Man with Moustache and Beard," using photography, a relatively new medium at the time. Consider what it meant to have your portrait taken during this era. Photography democratized portraiture, making it accessible to the middle class, not just the wealthy elite. This portrait embodies the sitter's desire to project a certain image – respectability, seriousness, and perhaps even a touch of modernity, symbolized by the carefully groomed beard and moustache, fashionable for the time. Leplat, working within the confines of societal expectations, provides us with a glimpse into the aspirations and self-perception of the emerging middle class. As we gaze into the eyes of this anonymous man, we are invited to reflect on the universal human desire to be seen, remembered, and understood.