Portret van Wilhelm I op een leeftijd van 79 jaar Possibly 1876

Editor: This is "Portrait of Wilhelm I at the Age of 79," potentially from 1876, by Werner Braun, and it's a photographic print. What immediately strikes me is how formal and almost staged the whole scene looks. What can you tell me about this image? Curator: Look at the posture: Wilhelm is seated, but upright, presenting himself for posterity. Portraits such as these are powerful symbols. The chair itself is a throne, representing stability. Note how he holds himself; can you see the weight of history, tradition, and the expectations of leadership he embodies? Editor: I suppose so, the beard and the clothes all indicate that authority figure, don't they? How did these things convey authority at the time? Curator: Indeed, consider the context. Wilhelm I was the Emperor of Germany during a time of immense social and political upheaval. The trappings of royalty - the beard, the clothes, all functioned to create an image of power at a moment of immense change. His face communicates resolution. What do you imagine it communicated to his people? Editor: That's really interesting to think about. Perhaps a message of stability, or tradition amidst all that change. I will be on the lookout for all these things from now on. Curator: Precisely. It is in how images act as cultural touchstones over time where meaning lies. Editor: Thank you, that’s given me a whole new perspective.