Portret van een onbekende Groningse student in maskeradekostuum 1886 - 1897

Berend Mulder produced this small photograph of an unknown Groningen student in masquerade costume. This staged portrait speaks to the social function of art and the culture of student life at the time. The student's choice of costume, reminiscent of a Renaissance nobleman, signals an engagement with history and perhaps a desire to align himself with a particular image of masculine authority. But it could also be a sign of social critique, parodying the norms of masculinity. The photograph itself, produced and sold commercially, is a commodity that reflects the development of a middle-class culture of leisure and self-expression. To understand the function and meaning of this image more fully, one would need to look at university archives, student newspapers and other records of the time to understand the social rituals and self-image of Groningen students.