Portret van een onbekende Groningse student in maskeradekostuum 1891 - 1900

This cabinet card, made by Willem Bernard Bekkering, portrays a student in Groningen, Netherlands, donning a theatrical costume. The flamboyant attire, reminiscent of the Renaissance era, features a wide-brimmed hat and a ruffled collar, symbols of theatricality, and masquerade. Consider the recurring motif of the mask itself, a powerful symbol of disguise and identity transformation. From the ancient Greek theatre to commedia dell'arte, the mask allows the wearer to embody different personas, to explore the limits of identity. We see this desire in masquerade balls, carnivals, and in the rituals of many cultures, where the mask mediates between the self and the world. In this photograph, the student's costume evokes a longing to escape into another persona. It’s a human desire, deeply rooted in our subconscious to explore hidden aspects of our nature, a concept that continues to resonate. The psychological tension between the hidden and the revealed captures our imagination, reminding us of the cyclical nature of history.