Portret van een man, staand bij een stoel met hoed, met aan zijn voeten een liggende hond 1860 - 1900

J. Bourens's diminutive portrait captures a man posed with his dog and hat in front of a studio backdrop. In the nineteenth century, photography offered a novel means for individuals to represent themselves, yet these images were far from neutral. Consider how the subject’s clothing signifies social class and masculinity. His riding boots and the languid dog at his feet point to leisure and privilege, speaking to a specific form of masculine identity rooted in land ownership and sporting culture. It’s interesting to consider the implicit power dynamics—between the man and his dog, and perhaps, the photographer and his subject. Who has the agency to pose and be seen, and who is positioned to gaze? While photography democratized portraiture to some extent, it also codified existing social hierarchies. This image, with its deliberate staging, reminds us that identity is always a performance, shaped by both personal desires and societal expectations.