Portret van Cornelis Anne den Tex 1843 - 1876

Carel Christiaan Antony Last created this portrait of Cornelis Anne den Tex using lithography. The subdued palette and soft gradations of tone immediately suggest a certain formality, befitting a man of stature. The composition, focusing on the upper body, allows us to examine the sitter's attire, a robe-like garment over a suit, likely indicative of his professional standing. This visual language encodes a hierarchy, where clothing acts as a signifier of social role and authority. Note the subject's gaze, directed slightly off-center, which creates a sense of distance and thoughtfulness. Last's decision to use lithography, with its capacity for detailed rendering and subtle tonal shifts, enhances the portrait's sense of realism. The lines of the face are rendered with an exactitude that invites the viewer to engage in an act of looking that is also a kind of reading. In this way, Last uses form and composition to highlight themes of status, and the power of representation.