Portret van een onbekende man 1880 - 1910

This is a cabinet card photograph of an unknown man, made by Heinrich Wilhelm Wollrabe in the Netherlands. These cartes de visite and cabinet cards were immensely popular in the mid-to-late 19th century, offering a glimpse into the era's social fabric. Looking at the image, we see a man formally dressed, likely middle-class, in a suit. The photograph itself, with its sepia tone and carefully posed subject, speaks volumes about the burgeoning culture of photography and its role in shaping social identity. Wollrabe, as indicated by the text on the card, operated as a "Hoffotograaf," suggesting a connection to the royal court. This detail hints at the institutional structures that shaped Wollrabe's practice. To fully understand this photograph, we might delve into archives detailing the studio practices of photographers like Wollrabe, or explore the social history of photography in the Netherlands during this period. Understanding art like this involves placing it within its institutional and social context.