Portret van Frederik Willem Conrad 1852

This is Johan Hendrik Hoffmeister’s portrait of Frederik Willem Conrad, made with lithography. The image reflects the 19th-century European emphasis on portraying men of prominence. Conrad, a civil engineer, is depicted with a level of formality that speaks to his professional status. The nuances of class are subtle but ever-present. His attire is a marker of middle-class identity, signaling both respectability and a degree of social mobility achieved through profession rather than birthright. Hoffmeister, the artist, was working during a time of burgeoning print culture, meaning this portrait could be reproduced and widely disseminated, further cementing Conrad’s place in the public sphere. Consider how this image contributes to the construction of historical narratives, memorializing figures like Conrad while also reinforcing certain social hierarchies and norms.