Portret van drie meisjes 1895 - 1920

Editor: This gelatin-silver print, titled "Portret van drie meisjes," by Gustaf Lesser, made sometime between 1895 and 1920, has a nostalgic quality. The girls, posed formally in their dresses, seem like figures from a past era. How can we understand this photograph through its materiality and social context? Curator: Precisely. The gelatin-silver print, a relatively accessible technology at the time, democratized portraiture. It moved image-making from the exclusive realm of painting and into the hands of a broader public. Consider the labour involved – from preparing the chemicals to the sitter's time and attire, photography became a marker of social status. Editor: So, the choice of the gelatin-silver process wasn't just about aesthetics, but about accessibility and wider consumption? Curator: Absolutely. While the lighting and composition hint at the aspirations towards "high art" traditions, such as genre-painting, the mechanical reproducibility inherent in photography speaks to its social function. These weren't just portraits; they were commodities, made to be exchanged and displayed, reinforcing social bonds and familial identity. Editor: That reframes the way I see the girls. They are not just pretty subjects; their carefully constructed image reflects societal values and consumption patterns of the era. I had not considered it from the consumption aspect, and what this entailed about class. Curator: And the realism, while seemingly objective, is actually manufactured. It highlights the cultural emphasis of how family – especially young women – are seen and valued. Their placement within the photographic album also reinforces it as not simply an aesthetic choice but also part of a much wider consumption habit. Editor: Thinking about it this way reveals a much richer context. This photograph is much more than just an innocent image of three young girls!