Portret van A.J. Bakker in een driedelig pak met een hoed in de hand c. 1864 - 1887

Editor: So, this is a portrait of A.J. Bakker, taken sometime between 1864 and 1887 by Carl Philip Wollrabe. It's a lovely watercolor with this incredible aged paper look that gives it a real sense of history. It feels posed and rather formal; what do you see in this piece? Curator: It's a fascinating artifact, isn’t it? Beyond the individual depicted, this photograph tells us so much about the social structures and expectations of the time. Notice the three-piece suit, the pose with the hand resting on the column – it all speaks to a desire for social standing. It evokes the burgeoning middle class and the democratizing effect photography had on portraiture. It was a way to project an image, both literally and figuratively. Why do you think it was so popular to take these studio portraits? Editor: Maybe it was a way to record one's place in society, like a visual resume or an announcement. To communicate wealth, and status, even if only symbolically. Did people really perceive these portraits as accurate representations? Curator: That’s a key question. These images are highly constructed. The backdrop, the lighting, even the slight retouching - they all contribute to crafting an idealized version of the subject. It makes one wonder about the role photography played in both reflecting and shaping social aspirations of that period. Were people believing it? Editor: It's like an early form of PR, in a way. I guess I had never thought about it that way! Thanks, I can certainly better reflect about image and the art in the photograph! Curator: Indeed! Reflecting on these dynamics provides richer contexts of art, portraiture, photography, and, crucially, on history as a whole.