Portret van Pieter Hendrik Suringar 1855

Willem Troost made this portrait of Pieter Hendrik Suringar using lithography. This formal portrait offers a glimpse into the world of 19th-century Dutch academia and its representation of masculinity. Suringar, dressed in a dark jacket and seated in an ornate chair, holds a book, symbolizing his intellectual pursuits. His posture and attire reflect the values of the time, emphasizing the importance of education and social standing. Troost captures Suringar in a manner that both celebrates and conforms to the conventions of bourgeois portraiture. This image, while seemingly straightforward, invites us to consider the subtle ways in which power and identity were constructed and communicated through visual representation during this period. It asks us to contemplate the historical context and the personal narratives intertwined within this formal depiction.