Buste van een onbekende man 1887 - 1910

Louis Goffint made this print, Buste van een onbekende man, we don't know when, and the title tells us it's a portrait bust of an unknown man. Goffint was active in Belgium during the first half of the 20th century when there was great social change and upheaval. The man depicted bears the marks of hard labor and seems to be in his later years. His gaze drifts off, perhaps into the future, or is he simply lost in his memories? His shoulders are slightly slumped, and his chest is exposed in an open shirt. There is an undeniable air of vulnerability about him, an aspect that has historically been associated with femininity. We are left to wonder about the kind of life this man has led. How has his identity been shaped by the circumstances of his life? Does this image honor the working class, or does it risk romanticizing hardship? What does it mean to depict this person with such visible signs of aging?