Portret van een onbekende Groningse student in maskeradekostuum 1886 - 1897

This is a photographic portrait by Berend Mulder showing an unidentified Groningen student in masquerade costume. The subdued sepia tones and the sitter's theatrical costume immediately evoke a sense of historical distance, yet the direct gaze maintains a connection. The composition is carefully arranged: the sitter is positioned slightly off-center, creating a dynamic tension, framed by props of a decorative table with glassware and an ornate backdrop. The textures vary from the smooth surfaces of the glass to the rougher fabric of the costume and the intricate details of the furniture. Considered through the lens of semiotics, the costume acts as a signifier, pointing to broader cultural codes of performance, identity, and social role-play. The masquerade hints at the destabilization of fixed identities, echoing philosophical concerns about the self and representation. The photograph's formal qualities serve not merely as aesthetic choices but as conduits for complex cultural meanings. They are visual cues inviting ongoing interpretation.