Portret van een onbekende man, mogelijk F.C. van der Hoeven Possibly 1856

This portrait of an unknown man, possibly F.C. van der Hoeven, was made by Johann Peter Berghaus in the Netherlands in 1856. The sitter’s confident pose, smart suit, and carefully cultivated facial hair speak to the self-assuredness of the Dutch bourgeois classes in the mid-19th century. The inscription at the bottom, “Cognato amicissimo,” suggests the portrait was made for a close family member or friend. This work offers a window into the domestic lives of the Dutch middle class. At the time, Dutch society was undergoing a period of rapid industrialization and modernization. This portrait reflects the values of this new era. We see the influence of Dutch institutions in the subject's clothing and the conventions of portraiture employed here, like the sitter gazing confidently. The image presents a view of established, conservative Dutch society. Studying archives, letters, and publications from the period can help us better understand the man depicted and the world he inhabited. Art is always contingent on the social and institutional context in which it is made and viewed.