Portret van een staande man in militair uniform met geweer in de hand 1882 - 1922

H.C. de Graaff’s photograph captures a standing man in military uniform holding a rifle. The sepia tone evokes a sense of history, and the photograph’s materiality speaks to its time, referencing the rise of mass media. The photographic process itself—the careful arrangement of the subject, the staging, and the development of the print—highlights the way identity was carefully constructed. The man’s rigid posture and precisely maintained uniform speak to the discipline and order associated with military service. The rifle, a product of industrial manufacturing, symbolizes power, control, and the mechanization of warfare. Consider the contrast between the individual portrayed and the forces of industry and militarization at play. The photograph asks us to consider the social context that produced both the man in uniform and the technology he wields, blurring the line between portraiture and documentation of a specific cultural and historical moment.