Studioportret van Margo Kessler op jeugdige leeftijd 1887 - 1892

Curator: Standing before us is an albumen print titled "Studioportret van Margo Kessler op jeugdige leeftijd," created between 1887 and 1892. It is currently housed right here at the Rijksmuseum. Editor: What immediately strikes me is the tonality – that faded sepia quality evokes such a strong sense of nostalgia, doesn't it? And the girl's expression; it's so serious for someone so young. Curator: Absolutely. The process of albumen printing itself is significant. It involved coating paper with egg whites, making it sensitive to light. It’s a labor-intensive process, linking photography closely to earlier craft traditions and material production methods. Each print, then, becomes a unique object imbued with the hand of the maker. Editor: True, and looking closely, you can see the slight imperfections, the subtle surface textures. I'm also interested in the composition, specifically the slightly blurred edges which draw your eye directly into the focused portrait in the centre. The light seems to be coming from above, casting a lovely glow across her face and dress. Curator: The realism style of the image indicates more than mere portraiture. Realism as a movement, you know, was concerned with portraying people and scenes authentically. Think of how studios like the one that made this image helped facilitate both commerce and representation of sitters from across the socio-economic spectrum. Editor: Yes, one must remember how revolutionary photography was, making it possible to capture a 'true' likeness – or at least what was perceived to be so at the time. But does the materiality of this type of photography further define a subject or an era in its essence or aesthetics? Curator: Consider it as a visual record and material object documenting labour; its existence as art gives context and tells of process, production and purpose. Editor: This albumen print and thoughtful interpretation reveals how a singular snapshot holds layers of material practice and personal history that bridge then and now. Curator: Exactly! I found that exchange illuminating and rich in interpretation.