Portret van een onbekende man bij een stoel 1859 - 1860

Alphonse Plumier made this photograph of an unknown man with a chair sometime in the mid-19th century. Photographs such as this one can tell us a lot about the sitter's social status. The man's formal attire and upright posture signal his respectability. He is also posed with a decorative chair, an elaborate prop in a photographer's studio which would be a financial investment for the artist. Such props were intended to convey status and respectability, but they are now understood to be studio conventions, and these elements would have been carefully considered and chosen. Plumier’s signature in the bottom corner also speaks to the professionalization of photography at this time. To understand this photograph, one would need to research the visual conventions of the time. Knowing more about the status of photographers in 19th century Belgium would also help us better understand its social context.