Portret van een man, zittend aan een tafel met een hoge hoed 1859 - 1870

Editor: This gelatin-silver print, "Portret van een man, zittend aan een tafel met een hoge hoed," dating from sometime between 1859 and 1870, is a captivating look at a well-dressed gentleman of the era. The monochrome image conveys a sense of reserved confidence. What stands out to you about this piece? Curator: The photograph resonates with symbols of status and aspiration. The top hat, for instance, isn't just headwear, but an emblem. What does a top hat communicate to us, even now? Editor: Class, sophistication… the image of the upper class? It’s interesting that it’s sitting *on* the table rather than being worn. Curator: Precisely! It signifies aspiration, a reached – or reachable – status, but also perhaps hints at artifice. It’s a performance. Think about the column in the background as well. Does it feel out of place? Editor: A little. I mean, it speaks to grandeur, but it does feel a bit… staged. Almost theatrical? Curator: Exactly. Photography in this era was often about constructing a particular narrative. What story do you think this man is trying to tell? Editor: He wants to be seen as refined, cultured… successful, but maybe also approachable. There's a sort of "everyman" quality to him despite the obvious markers of wealth. Curator: He’s crafting an identity. And we, generations later, are left to decode it through these carefully chosen symbols. He’s very much rooted in Romanticism as the symbols depict him, someone who believes and wants to belong to an intellectual world, which is conveyed even by his clothes and hairstyle, to contrast with the common folk, and to indicate his status as a higher member of the rising middle class. I find it curious how he doesn't even look into our eyes; his status requires him not to have human contact. He must look above it all, not only materially but also as a superior entity. It certainly adds a lot of new perspectives about historical symbols.