Portret van een man met snor 1865 - 1866

This is a photograph of a man with a mustache by Pierre-Nicolas Blankenstein. Consider the mustache. Across time, facial hair has been a powerful signifier of masculinity, wisdom, or rebellion. In ancient Assyrian art, for example, elaborately curled beards denoted status and power, a tradition echoed even in the Baroque era. Yet, our sitter’s mustache, neatly groomed but not ostentatious, speaks more to a rising bourgeois sensibility, a desire for respectability. Interestingly, we see the mustache reappear in later artistic movements, such as the Surrealists. Think of Salvador Dalí, who used his exaggerated mustache as a symbol of his unique persona, a deliberate act of challenging societal norms. The mustache becomes a tool of self-expression, loaded with psychological weight, conveying confidence and a touch of defiance. It seems this simple detail transcends mere fashion. Through cultural memory, this portrayal of male identity resurfaces, evolving from a symbol of status to one of self-expression, reminding us that cultural symbols never truly disappear; they transform, reappear, and continue to engage us on a subconscious level.