Portret van een onbekende klerk, aangeduid als Mr. F. Jespers Possibly 1871 - 1878

This is a photograph of an unknown clerk, possibly named Mr. F. Jespers, made by Willem van der Worp in the Netherlands in the late 19th century. This simple albumen print offers insight into the rise of the middle class and the culture of professionalism in the Netherlands. The man is portrayed in a suit and tie, seated in a well-furnished domestic interior, but his identity remains unknown to us, a clerk rather than a merchant or member of the landed gentry. He is posed with a book which suggests learning and literacy. This may indicate his aspirations to become a public servant or a respected member of his community. Van der Worp ran a studio in Zutphen at a time when photography was becoming more accessible to the middle classes. Historians can consult census records, business directories, and archives of local institutions to learn more about the sitter and the social context. Art like this serves as a cultural record, and our understanding of it will always be contingent on knowing more about its history.