Groepsportret van een onbekende man, vrouw en kind 1868 - 1873

Curator: Well, hello! Today we are looking at an albumen print called "Groepsportret van een onbekende man, vrouw en kind", a group portrait, by Dirk van Proijen dating back to sometime between 1868 and 1873. It's really got that austere, almost haunting feeling that's so common with photographs of that era. Editor: Haunting's a great word for it! There's such a formality, you know? Like, what stories are hidden behind those tight lips and straight postures? It’s like each person is holding a secret. Curator: Absolutely, it is that precise emotional register that really draws me into the work. Look at the placement—the man, woman and child, not touching really, the little girl carrying a strange object, an odd stillness. All very constructed. The family's social position being consciously presented for posterity. But what about the woman, for instance? What would a day in her life involve? Editor: Exactly, and you can sense the power dynamics in the photo, right? The man placing his arm on the woman, yet standing further ahead with more assured body language... the subtle yet undeniable hierarchies embedded into a supposedly 'objective' medium like photography. Then you have the girl carrying something... looks almost like a small cage. What do you make of that? Curator: A cage, perhaps, but empty. Or maybe a fancy purse? Something delicate and small, hinting at childhood privilege, perhaps? It sets her apart a little. Almost dreamlike—because here they are, playing for the camera as part of their day. An everyday luxury we forget was even once a thing. Editor: True! That detail just speaks volumes about gender and childhood during that time. What also strikes me is how portraits like these are seldom of the working classes. There are whole segments of the population underrepresented, and so photography, like art, ends up skewing the historical record. Who *isn’t* being represented? Curator: Indeed, the whole medium of photography initially reinforces privilege. That's always at the back of my mind when I consider photos such as these... the families or people who were able to participate in this novel experience are also often wealthy ones. Which raises further questions on agency and accessibility. Anyway, it has been quite a thoughtful look, if at times wistful, at Mr. Van Proijen’s piece here today. Editor: Definitely. Thinking about who makes art, who art represents, and who gets left out... that is such an important discussion and still resonates today. It really made me think!