Portret van een onbekende man, aangeduid als Martinus Schots 1879 - 1881

This photograph, a portrait of a man speculatively identified as Martinus Schots, was captured by Dirk Niekerk in Amsterdam. Note the sitter’s gaze, direct and unwavering, a convention echoing classical portraiture meant to convey authority and self-assurance. This gaze transcends mere likeness. In ancient Roman portraiture, a direct gaze was a symbol of virtus, manly virtue, and leadership. Consider, too, the tradition of royal portraiture across centuries, where the ruler's direct gaze commands attention. The pose, though simple, speaks to a desire for permanence, a yearning to be remembered, and an engagement with deep, subconscious desires and collective memories that images evoke. The sitter’s desire to present himself in a certain light reflects our own innate, primal need to make our mark on the world, to defy mortality through the image. It is a cycle, the symbol evolving through time, yet the core intention remains.