Portret van de graveur Joseph Wildiers, ten voeten uit 1861

Joseph Dupont captured this full-length portrait of the engraver Joseph Wildiers using photography, a relatively new medium at the time, to preserve and elevate his likeness. The portrait offers a glimpse into the visual codes of mid-19th century European masculinity, depicting Wildiers in a long coat and neatly styled hair. His confident posture and the inclusion of symbols of status, such as books on a table, subtly convey a sense of intellectual and professional standing. While the photograph adheres to traditional portrait conventions, it also hints at the changing roles and self-perceptions of men during a period of industrial and social change. Dupont’s photograph immortalizes Wildiers, but it also reflects broader societal trends in portraiture, identity, and the rise of photography as a means of representation and documentation. It invites us to reflect on the personal and public dimensions of identity construction during this transitional era.