Portret van een onbekende man c. 1880 - 1900

Franz Reissig made this portrait of an unknown man using the albumen print technique. This portrait, now held at the Rijksmuseum, encapsulates the visual codes of late 19th-century bourgeois identity in the Netherlands. The sitter's formal attire, composed expression, and the deliberate composition are all visual cues of respectability and status. Studio portraiture like this served as a democratizing force, allowing a wider segment of the population to participate in the traditions previously reserved for the aristocracy. The production of these images relied on the burgeoning photographic industry and the institutional spaces, like Reissig's studio in Breda. For us, the historian, understanding such a work requires delving into the social and economic conditions of the time. Archival research, genealogical studies, and analyses of period fashion can provide clues about the sitter's identity and the role of photography in shaping social identities. This image, like all art, is more than just a picture, it is a product of its time, reflecting and shaping the society that created it.