Portret van een staand meisje, leunend op de leuning van een stoel 1861 - 1887

Albert Greiner made this photographic portrait of a standing girl leaning on a chair, likely in the mid-to-late 19th century. The photograph itself, though modest in size, tells us a lot about the industrialization of image-making during that period. Unlike painting or sculpture, photography allowed for relatively quick reproduction and distribution, catering to a growing demand for portraiture among the middle classes. The albumen print process, used here, involved coating paper with egg white and silver nitrate, making it sensitive to light. The resulting sepia tone and soft focus lend a sense of nostalgia, yet the crisp details in the girl's clothing and hairstyle speak to the precision of the medium. Photography democratized representation, making it accessible to a wider audience and blurring the lines between fine art and a commercial craft. The image's value lies not only in its aesthetic qualities but also in its role as a record of social and technological change.