Portret van ingenieur J. H. Docters van Leeuwen c. 1851 - 1883

This is Johan Hendrik Hoffmeister's portrait of J. H. Docters van Leeuwen, made using lithography. The portrait reflects the cultural values of the 19th-century Netherlands, a period marked by industrial expansion and social stratification. The subject, an engineer, is depicted with a self-assured gaze and formal attire, signifying his professional status and the importance of technical expertise in a rapidly changing world. The lithographic technique itself, with its capacity for mass production, mirrors the era's industrial advancements and the democratisation of images. To truly understand this work, we must consider the institutional context of portraiture at the time and study archives and biographical sources to explore the engineer’s role in Dutch society. Only then can we appreciate the portrait’s subtle commentary on the values and power structures of its time.