Reproductie naar een foto van Willem Witsen c. 1860 - 1915

This is an anonymous reproduction of a photograph of Willem Witsen. It portrays a man in profile, a member of the Dutch elite at the turn of the 20th century. What does it mean to have your portrait taken? It's a question of self-fashioning, of projecting a certain image to the world. This image speaks of a bourgeois identity. The suit, the tie, the neatly groomed hair. These are all signifiers of class and status. Consider the act of reproduction. The photograph is already a representation, a constructed image. But what happens when it is reproduced? Does it lose something in the process, or does it gain a new layer of meaning? Perhaps, the act of reproducing this image is an attempt to preserve a particular vision of Dutch society and identity. It's a reminder of who held power and influence. Ultimately, the image is a meditation on identity and representation. It invites us to consider the ways in which we construct our own identities, and how those identities are shaped by the society in which we live.