Portret van een jonge man in kostuum, aangeduid als A.J. van Sminia Possibly 1887 - 1899

Antonius Joannes van der Stok captured this portrait of a young man in costume, presumed to be A.J. van Sminia. The photograph, with its sepia tones and gilded frame, presents a study in contrasts and textures. Note how the subject is positioned centrally, his elaborate attire immediately drawing the eye. The ruff around his neck and the feathered cap create soft, diffuse shapes that contrast with the structured lines of his doublet and hose. There's a tension between the softness of the background foliage and the sharp detail of the costume. The composition, while seemingly straightforward, plays with semiotic codes of status and identity. The costume, a clear visual signifier, speaks to themes of performance and the constructed self. This small photograph becomes a stage where identity is not fixed but performed, questioning the very notion of a stable, authentic self.