Portret van Cecil Rhodes before 1891

This is a portrait of Cecil Rhodes, a British businessman and politician, taken sometime before 1891. The image is a black and white photograph, showing Rhodes seated with his arms crossed, looking directly at the viewer. The photograph, attributed to an anonymous artist, captures Rhodes in a formal, yet composed pose. The intimate scale of the portrait, measuring only 152 mm in height and 72 mm in width, suggests a personal photograph rather than a grand official one. The inscription on the page below the portrait, "I ought to write you a long letter but I hate writing and have no private secretary" suggests this was a personal image meant for a close acquaintance.