Portret van een man met bakkebaarden 1874 - 1878

This is Pieter Van Vlaanderen’s portrait of a man with sideburns. The most striking feature is the man's elaborate sideburns and formal attire which signal respectability and bourgeois status. Think of the evolution of beards and hairstyles across cultures and times. From the ancient Egyptians who wore false beards as symbols of power, to the clean-shaven faces of Roman emperors signaling order and modernity. Sideburns emerged as a statement of individual style and masculine identity, a departure from the full beards of previous generations. The image is a moment frozen in time, a symbol of transition and individual expression which connects to the broader human story. In this portrait, there is also the weight of societal expectations and the subtle anxieties of identity. It's a reminder of how appearances can be both personal statements and reflections of collective norms.