Portret van een zittende man met bakkebaarden 1855 - 1867

Henri Pronk created this portrait of a seated man with sideburns sometime in the mid-19th century. The sitter's confident posture, combined with his fashionable attire, hints at the rise of the middle class in Dutch society during this period. Consider the gaze of the man in the photograph. In this era, the act of portraiture was often reserved for those of a certain social standing, and the tradition of portraiture helped to reinforce the status of the sitter. Think about the ways in which identity and representation intersect here: the crisp detail of the photograph captures not just a likeness, but also conveys something about the sitter's self-perception. This image also invites us to consider the role of photography in shaping social perceptions and documenting the changing face of Dutch society. How does it shape our understanding of the individual and the era in which he lived?