Portret van een staande man, met paraplu en hoed in de hand 1863 - 1865

This small portrait of a standing man holding a hat and umbrella was made with photography, a relatively new medium at the time, by Charles Thomas Newcombe. Photographs like this one were often presented as documents of social standing. But we should also consider the materiality of the image itself. Photography had only been around for a few decades, and the techniques involved were complex, and often required toxic chemicals. The development of photography coincided with the rise of industrialization, and the medium itself can be seen as a product of capitalist society. The photograph's small size also speaks to its function as a portable keepsake, something that could be easily shared and displayed. This speaks to photography's ability to democratize portraiture, making it accessible to a wider range of people beyond the wealthy elite who could afford painted portraits. Recognizing photography's role in shaping social identities and power dynamics allows us to see the portrait as more than just a simple depiction of an individual, and to appreciate it as an object of cultural and historical significance.