Groepsportret van mannen uit vermoedelijk Uzbekistan before 1885

This photogravure print shows a group portrait of men, presumably from Uzbekistan. The anonymous photographer used a process that intricately combines photography and etching: a photographic image is transferred to a metal plate, then etched to create an image that can be printed in ink. Consider the way that this method influences the image's appearance; the etching process gives a depth and tonal range that is quite different from a simple photographic print. And it's worth noting that a photogravure also allows for a large number of prints to be made from a single plate, which would certainly speak to a commercial imperative. We might also think of the social context here, the labour involved in staging and producing a formal portrait like this. Ultimately, understanding this image involves moving beyond conventional ideas about art, and focusing on the blend of processes, materials, and social conditions that brought it into being.