Staande man met hoge muts en armen op de rug 1779

This is Jean-Pierre Norblin de la Gourdaine's etching of a standing man with a tall hat, made sometime around 1770. The figure is rendered with delicate strokes that define the folds of his garment and the contour of his form. The composition centers on the man, who stands in profile. The lines create a sense of volume, using shadow and light to give the figure depth against the stark background. Norblin, with his acute attention to the subtleties of line and form, seems to explore the semiotic relationship between clothing and identity, inviting us to consider how external appearances reflect internal states or societal roles. The man’s arms are behind his back. This may convey introspection or constraint, ideas that question the viewer's perception and challenge the prevailing artistic conventions of portraiture.