Portret van een man met snor en bolhoed 1887 - 1928

Editor: Here we have "Portret van een man met snor en bolhoed", a gelatin-silver print, sometime between 1887 and 1928, attributed to Wilhelm Frederick Antonius Delboy. I'm struck by the formality; the stiff pose feels very characteristic of that era. What historical context am I missing when I look at this portrait? Curator: This is a perfect example of the democratisation of portraiture. Photography made portraits accessible to a wider social stratum. Prior to this, having your likeness created was the domain of the wealthy, signifying social status and legacy through painted portraits. Editor: So photography became a new way for ordinary people to represent themselves? Curator: Exactly! The mass availability of photography meant the aspiring middle classes, for instance, could now also emulate those traditions of self-representation. Think about what posing with a hat signified. What statements were made through that choice of attire? Editor: Perhaps respectability? Or aspiration? Wanting to show you’ve ‘made it’? Curator: Precisely. It highlights the interesting tension between the perceived objectivity of the photographic image and the deliberate staging involved in constructing an identity. How much do you think photography changed painting at this time? Editor: It’s interesting to think about how the rise of photography prompted painting to move away from purely representational goals. Photography could capture likeness so accurately. Curator: The photographic image challenged painting to redefine its role and, by extension, broadened our visual vocabulary. It highlights how new media can disrupt and redefine existing art forms, changing cultural values surrounding art production. Editor: It’s amazing how a simple portrait reveals so much about social shifts. It makes you think about photography's democratising potential!