Portret van een man met snor 1860 - 1900

Daniel Nyblin created this small portrait photograph of a moustached man sometime between 1856 and 1923. The portrait's dimensions suggest it may have been part of a collection, potentially an album of friends, family or other social connections. It's important to understand photography's place in society during Nyblin's time. Photography democratized portraiture, making it accessible to a wider range of social classes. It also allowed people to craft and control their own image in ways that were not possible before. In particular, the carefully groomed moustache of the man in the portrait speaks to his social standing, and awareness of fashion trends. As historians, we might explore the archive of Nyblin’s photographic studio, or delve into the history of portraiture and fashion in the late 19th and early 20th century. In doing so, we can better understand the social and cultural world that shaped both the artist and his subject. The meaning of art is always contingent on its social and institutional context.