Portret van een jongetje in witte kleding met een hoed 1899

This is Geldolph Adriaan Kessler’s photograph, “Portret van een jongetje in witte kleding met een hoed,” currently held at the Rijksmuseum. Kessler, born in the Netherlands in 1884, lived through a period of significant social and political change. The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw growing industrialization and shifts in class structures. Given the attire and the setting, the child in this photo likely comes from a privileged background, one where such garments and leisurely poses were accessible. The boy's clothing is notably white. White in clothing has a history of connoting purity and innocence, but also wealth, as it was harder to keep clean and maintain. The large hat also speaks to ideas of status and protection from the sun, a symbol of leisure. The gentle smile and small riding crop hints at a narrative of boyhood, class and identity. The photograph invites us to reflect on the complex intersections of childhood, class, and representation in the early 20th century.