Portret van een onbekende man, mogelijk de Parijse ingenieur Wittman 1897

Auguste Danse created this portrait of a man, possibly the Parisian engineer Wittman, using etching. Notice the subject’s beard and the determined set of his jaw. The beard, historically a symbol of wisdom and masculinity, harkens back to classical portrayals of philosophers and leaders. Yet, it also evolved into a marker of industrial-age gravitas and the intellectual rigor associated with engineering. The image is reminiscent of similar portraits across centuries, where a stern gaze signifies power and control. It can be seen echoing in Roman busts, Renaissance paintings, and even early photography. This continuity isn’t mere coincidence, but the conscious or subconscious invocation of authority figures. There is a psychological depth here, a collective memory imbuing the man with an aura of influence. The symbol has gone through a non-linear progression, and its meaning has shifted. Still, it resurfaces in our cultural psyche, adapted and re-contextualized.