Portret van Samuel Philippus Lipman 1863 - 1871

This is a lithograph of Samuel Philippus Lipman, made in the Netherlands by Nicolaas Johannes Wilhelmus de Roode. The portrait depicts Lipman as a man of erudition, posed with books and writing implements. The trappings of wealth are visible in the background, but more interesting are the signifiers of his political status. Lipman wears a decoration on his chest – likely an honorific bestowed upon him by the state. It's worth remembering that the Dutch state was, in this period, still relatively young, having been established after the Napoleonic wars. Portraits such as this communicate power – but they also construct it, creating a visual rhetoric around the new institutions of the Netherlands. To understand this image better, we can turn to sources such as historical archives to better understand Lipman's biography and his role in the Dutch state. We can also research the history of lithography, and its function in the 19th century as a medium of political communication.