Portret van een jonge man in kostuum, aangeduid als E. Smit 1882 - 1905

Jan Goedeljee captured this young man, thought to be E. Smit, in costume using photography. The ruff around his neck and the elaborate tunic are visual echoes of the Elizabethan era. The ruff, initially a modest frill, expanded into a symbol of status and elegance in the 16th and 17th centuries. We see echoes of this in later periods when formality and status were performed through dress. Think of the high, starched collars of the late 19th century. Like the ruff, these collars visually ‘elevated’ the wearer, creating a sense of distance and authority. This impulse to signal status isn't merely vanity. It reflects deep-seated social dynamics, a primal need to assert oneself within a hierarchy. Observe how the elaborate costume evokes nostalgia, an emotional yearning for a perceived 'golden age.' This is a cyclical phenomenon, a recurring desire to reconnect with an imagined past.