Portret van een onbekende man c. 1857 - 1904

This is a portrait of an unknown man, made by Emrik & Binger. The lithograph raises questions about the role of portraiture in Dutch society. Consider the context of 19th-century Netherlands. This was a time of significant social and economic change. Portraiture became increasingly accessible to the middle class. The man’s formal attire and confident posture suggest bourgeois status, reflecting the values of the time. How do we engage with the identity of someone when the sitter is unknown? It invites speculation about the sitter's social standing and aspirations. It possibly mirrors an increasing emphasis on individualism and self-presentation. Further research into the archives of Dutch printing houses and social histories of the time may reveal more about the sitter. In the end, works like these remind us that the meaning of art is always contingent on its social and institutional context.