25 portretten van Tolstoj, Raoul de Boisdeffre en anderen before 1897

This unbound leaf of portraits, of unknown date and by an anonymous hand, presents a formal arrangement of twenty-five figures within a grid-like structure. The stark monochrome palette emphasizes the tonal variations within each photographic portrait, drawing attention to the textures of clothing, facial hair, and the subtle gradations of light and shadow. The composition is rigidly organized, with each portrait occupying an equally sized rectangular space, suggesting a system of classification and order. This echoes the structuralist impulse to find underlying patterns and systems in cultural phenomena. The repetition of the portrait format, coupled with the uniformity of presentation, hints at the interchangeability of the subjects, even as their individual features strive to assert uniqueness. The leaf functions as a semiotic field, where each portrait acts as a signifier, pointing to a person. Yet, stripped of context, these signifiers become destabilized. We are left to ponder the nature of representation, identity, and the cultural codes that underpin our understanding of the individual within a larger social framework.