Portret A.J.F. Jansen c. 1851 - 1883

This is a portrait of A.J.F. Jansen by Johan Hendrik Hoffmeister, made with unspecified materials in the Netherlands, likely during the mid-19th century. The figure's stern gaze, the neat moustache, and the stylish cravat and plaid waistcoat all speak to a particular construction of bourgeois masculinity. But how do images like this function within the social structures of their time? The sitter's identity as 'Resident te Menado' offers a clue. This image might well relate to the history of Dutch colonialism. Menado was a residency in the Celebes region of the Dutch East Indies - now Indonesia. Perhaps this portrait was made to commemorate or celebrate Jansen's role within that colonial administration. To understand it more fully, we might research Dutch colonial history and look into official records of the Dutch East Indies. Through such resources, we can discover the image's role in the context of Dutch colonialism.