Portret van een man verkleed als vrouw in Volendamse klederdracht, staand met handen in de zij c. 1900 - 1910

This photograph by G. Hidderley presents a figure in Volendam attire, standing defiantly with hands on hips. The sepia tone and grainy texture evoke a sense of historical distance, while the direct gaze challenges our assumptions. The composition is structured around contrasts: the dark background against the bright costume, the rigid vertical of the door frame versus the rounded forms of the figure. The costume, with its intricate lace and layered fabrics, is rendered in stark detail, inviting a semiotic reading of cultural codes and gender roles. However, this interpretation is immediately destabilized, as the title reveals that the subject is a man. The photograph, therefore, becomes a stage for exploring the performative aspects of identity. It suggests a fluidity that subverts fixed categories. It prompts us to consider how cultural symbols can be re-appropriated. The very act of dressing becomes a mode of questioning norms.