Portret van een man in kostuum, aangeduid als G.W. Eekhout Possibly 1887 - 1899

Curator: Here we have a photograph from the Rijksmuseum collection, “Portret van een man in kostuum, aangeduid als G.W. Eekhout,” or “Portrait of a man in costume, identified as G.W. Eekhout." It's likely from between 1887 and 1899. My attention is immediately drawn to its mode of production. Artist: You know, before you launch into all the… specifics… my first thought? Theatre! The fellow's got a wonderfully self-aware theatricality to him. Is he posing or performing, or are they the same? Curator: Possibly both! Studio photography in the late 19th century became increasingly accessible, influencing portraiture's interplay with costume and theatre. Photography democratized portraiture and simultaneously allowed for greater role-playing within it, often relying on props and outfits bought or rented from dedicated theatrical suppliers. Note how much detail goes into rendering the surfaces, folds and pleats, the textural feel of the velvety fabrics. Artist: Oh, completely. And those glasses! Modern and practical, peering out from this ornate Renaissance-esque getup… it creates this delightful little clash of centuries. Makes you wonder about his intentions, doesn’t it? The whole presentation feels… playful, maybe even a little ironic. What’s the relationship between the real man and this persona he adopts? Curator: It also highlights how identity itself was being renegotiated. He appears to be of a bourgeois class, but appropriates aristocratic imagery – the feather in his hat, the doublet and hose. The mass production of such costumes for photographic studios gave the burgeoning middle class an avenue to literally embody other modes of being. Artist: You put it so well, grounding these personal creative expressions in historical circumstances! But doesn't it tickle your imagination too? Think of all the decisions that went into that costume—the choices behind each frill and flourish. It whispers stories to me, hints of dramas lived and yet to be. Curator: Absolutely. For me, it serves as an object lesson in how materials, even representational ones, embody the socio-economic conditions of their time. Each choice of fabric, each accessory – they're all communicating something about the individual, yes, but even more so about society's values. Artist: So, in the end, even a playful portrait like this is, in fact, holding up a mirror to more than just the man in the costume, but also to his world? Lovely thought! Curator: Precisely. By considering its tangible creation, the photo opens avenues of thinking about self-representation and social aspiration at that moment in time.