Portret van een onbekende jongeman 1880 - 1906

Editor: Here we have a charming albumen print, a photographic portrait from between 1880 and 1906, titled "Portrait of an Unknown Young Man" by Willem Gerhardus Kuijer. It's at the Rijksmuseum now. I'm struck by the subject’s gaze; it feels both direct and a little melancholic. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Oh, the melancholic gaze is spot on! This isn't just a portrait; it's a whisper from a bygone era, wouldn't you agree? Imagine him, posed stiffly in the photographer’s studio, light carefully arranged, hoping to capture something eternal. It is sort of romantic. Think about photography still being fairly new at the time - imagine the novelty, almost magical. Editor: I hadn't really considered the magic element of photography back then. Do you think the stiffness was just the style, or a result of long exposure times? Curator: Definitely both! Long exposure demanded stillness. The style... well, posing stiffly became the "norm." And, there's this layer of formality, expectation, a desire to present one’s best self to posterity. It’s also amazing to think, wouldn't you agree, that these types of images became incredibly widespread and easily available for a wider variety of people. This wouldn’t be for aristocrats as in paintings from past centuries, or even the beginnings of photography. Editor: I guess so! It democratized portraits in a sense. It's really given me a new way of thinking about the history of portraiture. Curator: Wonderful! These glimpses into the past aren’t just images but mirrors reflecting our own human desires – to be seen, remembered, perhaps even understood. Isn't that magic in itself?