Portret van kolonel Nicolaas Cornelis de Gallières 1832

This is Pieter Gerardus Bernhard's portrait of Colonel Nicolaas Cornelis de Gallières, created around 1852. At first glance, the eye is drawn to the symmetrical arrangement of the Colonel and the hat. The structure of the composition is very straightforward. Bernhard uses lithography to create a formal portrait with careful attention to the details of the Colonel's uniform and accessories. The clean lines define the shapes of the figure, emphasizing the materiality of the clothing, the gleam of metal, and the weight of the helmet. The formal balance is subtly destabilized by the slight asymmetry in the Colonel's posture and the off-center placement of his hat. The portrait also plays with semiotic codes of status and power. The uniform and decorations signal the Colonel's rank and accomplishments, while the portrait itself acts as a signifier of social standing. The artist invites us to consider the ways in which individual identity intersects with broader structures of authority and representation.