Portret van een onbekende man, mogelijk C. Bang

About this artwork

wapen (heraldiek): ‘Schild met helm van een harnas erboven, in drie delen opgedeeld: een bloem, drie sterren en een liggend maantje.’

Art Historical Context

Isaac Wilhelm Tegner's *Portret van een onbek man, mogelijk C.* is a striking 19th-century lithograph, created between 1850 and1893. Measuring 401 mm high by 286 mm wide, this portrait the dignified likeness of an unidentified gentleman—possibly C. Bang—in a medium that revolutionized visual culture during the era. Lithography, aographic printing technique invented in the late 18th century allowed artists like Tegner to produce intricate details with the fluidity of drawing directly on stone, making high-quality portraits accessible beyond elite commissions. At the heart of the composition lies a heraldic coat of arms crowning the shield: a helmet from a suit of armor atop a field divided into three sections—a flower, three stars, and a reclining crescent moon. Such heraldry underscores the subject's social standing, evoking traditions of nobility and lineage in European portraiture. Tegner, working in this period of rapid industrialization, blended portrait realism with symbolic iconography, reflecting the era's fascination with identity and heritage. This piece offers a window into 19th-century visual storytelling, where lithography democratized art while preserving the grandeur of personal emblems. Visitors, imagine the stone's subtle textures coming alive under candlelight in a gentleman's study!