Portret van een man 1869 - 1879

This is a portrait of a man by Mondel & Jacob. The photographic print offers us a window into the late 19th century, a time when photography was transforming from a novelty to a common practice. Here, we see a man, whose identity remains unknown, captured in an oval frame, a popular style of the time, which reminds me of the way people were often categorized and defined by their social roles. His suit and tie, along with the carefully groomed mustache, speak of middle-class aspirations and the desire for respectability. There is a formality to the image, a staging of self that was so common in early portrait photography, yet this also can be read as a signifier of power, as a symbol of access and privilege. Consider the act of portraiture itself, the power dynamics inherent in who gets to be seen and remembered. What does it mean to preserve a likeness, to claim a space in history through an image?