Portret van een zittende man met een jas c. 1859 - 1869

Curator: Before us is "Portret van een zittende man met een jas," or "Portrait of a Seated Man with a Coat" created by Tresling & Comp. between 1859 and 1869. It's a rather striking example of a daguerreotype, now residing here at the Rijksmuseum. What are your initial thoughts? Editor: Austere. There’s a palpable sense of unease emanating from the subject. The pose, the somber expression—it feels less like a celebratory portrait and more like a document of a particular socio-economic constraint, no? Curator: Indeed. Consider the tonal range; the stark contrast amplifies the rigid formality of the subject's attire. Observe the light as it rakes across his face, emphasizing the lines and contours, constructing a geometry of character. The photograph itself is quite interesting from a purely formal perspective: the angle of his arm, mirrored by the leg position... Editor: I find it difficult to divorce this stark visual language from its social context. Daguerreotypes were primarily commissioned by the emerging middle class— a relatively new social phenomenon at this point. The stiffness and somber tone often speak to anxieties around class performativity and projecting a certain kind of upward mobility during a period of enormous social change. What stories is this man hiding or wanting to project? Curator: An intriguing reading! I tend to appreciate how the photographers work with textures: look at the velvet-like quality of his jacket and the subtle sheen on the polished table to his side, then back to his skin. Editor: Agreed. It speaks volumes. The materiality—the table, his expensive coat—signifies status and perhaps suggests an attempt to solidify belonging, against a backdrop of societal stratification. To have your likeness captured at this point signifies having some access, even a tenuous foothold within burgeoning capitalist structures. The formal constraints, and what that may or may not communicate, is revealing. Curator: I find your sociological perspective particularly illuminating; you push beyond surface level observation, into broader power dynamics. Perhaps it is indeed in his reserve that a deeper story emerges. Editor: Precisely. Thank you. Perhaps it’s time for me to more greatly appreciate the sheer visual artistry within that very stiffness!