Portret van een onbekende jongeman met stok en hoed 1874 - 1929

This photo, "Portret van een onbekende jongeman met stok en hoed," was taken by Arnoldus Cornelius Verhees. It’s a small photograph, only about 10cm high. I imagine Verhees setting up his equipment, carefully arranging the young man next to that elaborate chair. The light is soft, almost hazy, giving the image a timeless quality. It feels like Verhees was trying to capture not just a likeness, but a mood, a certain kind of understated elegance. The boy is holding a cane. Is it a prop? He looks a little awkward, a little unsure of himself. I wonder what he was thinking when he was sitting for this portrait. Was he nervous? Proud? Did he have any idea that his image would be preserved like this, frozen in time for us to ponder over a century later? It feels like a quiet, intimate moment, preserved in shades of gray.