Portret van een onbekende man 1881 - 1887

Curator: Let's look at this compelling image—"Portret van een onbekende man," taken sometime between 1881 and 1887 by Jacques Chits. It's a gelatin silver print. Editor: There’s an immediate intimacy, despite the formality. The monochrome, almost sepia, lends a certain gravity, wouldn’t you say? The details are astonishingly crisp, particularly in the rendering of his attire. Curator: Precisely. The clothing situates him in a certain class, a nascent bourgeoisie, but what strikes me is his expression. The gaze is direct, but there’s a sense of unease. What are the socio-political factors influencing his demeanor? This could be around the time that many laborers struggled, but this person clearly has class privilege in some shape or form. Editor: That suit isn’t just any suit, is it? Note the fabric texture, the cut, the precise placement of the button. Consider the labor required to create that object, from weaving the fabric to tailoring. Someone spent a significant amount of time, and therefore commanded considerable pay, crafting that garment. He's communicating affluence but without flaunting. Curator: But it’s precisely that unspoken assertion of privilege that needs interrogation. Who has access to these resources, and who is systematically excluded? It's a powerful yet insidious class marker. The fact we can examine it so minutely thanks to this technology also reveals societal divides. Editor: Exactly. Think about the industrial revolution, and photography capturing people of all classes. Then we can consider what gelatin silver prints themselves meant. The democratizing impact on portraiture…suddenly regular people could commission images that reflected social realities that would change traditional power. What impact did this material form have in everyday life? Curator: The accessibility challenged power structures, but the photographer Jacques Chits had to also contend with portraiture as a technology, how to capture authentic likeness, and to what end? The composition isn't breaking ground; it situates this unknown person within established tropes of masculine authority. It almost asks what is at the essence of 'portrait' beyond a mere image. Editor: This whole artwork presents questions, even if we can't immediately access the subject’s intentions, his suit's creation opens up a range of explorations— the class systems present, and our need for material. Curator: It offers much-needed historical awareness by raising interesting critical and cultural probes from its core. The act of representing “the unknown” invites discourse about power and identity within our societal norms and what impact that has for the future of inclusivity.