Portret van een jongen, staand bij een tafel 1865 - 1900

This photograph, “Portret van een jongen, staand bij een tafel,” was created by Wegner & Mottu. In this image, a young boy stands stiffly in a tailored suit with braid embellishments, leaning casually on a decorative table. Consider the weight of societal expectations placed on young boys during the time this photograph was taken. The uniform-like suit and formal pose speak to a specific class and gender performance of the time. Who was this child? We can only imagine the life and expectations that awaited him. The carefully arranged composition of the photo suggests an attempt to capture not just an image, but an idea of the sitter’s identity, carefully constructed and presented to the world. While we don’t know exactly who the boy in the image is, his identity has been immortalized through this photograph. This image remains as a testament to time, class, and identity.