Portret van een vrouw 1892

This photographic portrait was made by Machiel Hendricus Laddé. It is a modest object, made through the application of chemical processes on paper. Photography changed everything about portraiture. Before, likenesses were only available to the wealthy, who could afford to commission paintings. But with photography, new possibilities emerged. A burgeoning middle class gained access to images of themselves and their loved ones, opening a market for commercial studios. Here, the subject appears to be a working woman. The photograph normalizes her image, capturing a degree of social mobility. Photography democratized representation, but we shouldn't romanticize it too much. Photographers like Laddé still had to be skilled technicians, and the cost of sitting for a portrait was not insignificant. What seems like a simple memento involved labor, materials, and a complex relationship to economic life. Looking closely at the material reality of the photograph lets us see the world of its making.