Portret van Joseph Foxley before 1891

This is an anonymous portrait of Joseph Foxley, likely made in 1855, around the time of his Burney Prize Essay. The image, carefully placed within this book, speaks to the identity of Foxley as a scholar and a man of faith. During this period, portraiture, especially of men, often served to reinforce societal roles and status. Foxley's stern gaze and well-groomed beard are markers of Victorian masculinity, projecting an image of authority and respectability, but this image also speaks to the relationship between intellectual and spiritual life at the time. The inscription within the book describes faith "as necessary for the purification and perfectibility of man," reflecting the prevailing cultural and religious beliefs of the time, which intertwined personal piety with the pursuit of knowledge. This portrait is a testament to how one's identity was constructed and presented in relation to prevailing social, religious, and intellectual ideals. It makes me wonder how Foxley felt about the weight of these expectations.