Portret van een man met snor 1887 - 1888

This is a photographic portrait of a moustached man, created by Marinus Pieter Filbri. The most striking element is, naturally, the moustache itself, a symbol of virility and societal status that has waxed and waned in popularity through history. Consider the Assyrian kings, whose beards, meticulously curled and oiled, were emblems of power and divine favor. This echoes through time, appearing in different forms and contexts, from the elaborate beards of the Renaissance elite to the carefully cultivated moustaches of the Victorian era. In each instance, it serves as a visible marker of identity, a declaration of selfhood that resonates with our collective memory. It is an emotional artifact connecting us to past eras, embodying the shifting ideals of masculinity and the complex interplay between individual expression and collective identity. Note how the sitter gazes out, perhaps inviting you to decipher how the symbol has evolved and been passed down through history, shifting in meaning across the ages.