Portret van Johannes Petrus van Horstok in silhouet 1785 - 1837

Ernst Willem Jan Bagelaar created this silhouette portrait of Johannes Petrus van Horstok sometime between 1775 and 1837. In a period defined by social upheaval and shifting class structures, silhouette portraits became a popular way for both the bourgeoisie and the aristocracy to immortalize their likenesses. There’s an intimacy to a silhouette. Its stark reduction to outline invites a certain curiosity: What details are hidden in shadow? Whose stories remain untold? The silhouette becomes more than a mere representation; it becomes a meditation on presence and absence, on visibility and obscurity. Bagelaar, working during a time of revolution and change, captured not just an image, but a sense of identity in flux. This small portrait speaks volumes about the desire to capture and preserve one's place in a rapidly changing world. It allows us to reflect on the complexities of identity and representation.