Portret van de schilder Laurens Alma Tadema, ten voeten uit 1861

Curator: Straight away I am just completely transported, this albumen print from 1861 has this strange almost haunting stillness. Editor: It does, doesn't it? This is "Portret van de schilder Laurens Alma Tadema, ten voeten uit," by Joseph Dupont. A full-length portrait of the artist Laurens Alma-Tadema. Curator: Yes, exactly. He's standing so formally, almost rigidly. I suppose it’s that 19th-century seriousness, but there is such an introspective element in his eyes as if you are intruding on a very personal moment. Editor: Notice how the tonal range of this photograph achieves a subtle yet rich contrast, creating depth and volume. The gradations are truly impressive considering the age of this technology, especially if one accounts for its inherent limitations. The composition also places him almost exactly in the center of the shot and I wonder if that says something? Curator: Possibly, Dupont probably had some technical or artistic interest with that choice, perhaps not though, I find so compelling is his direct gaze coupled with that soft lighting that seems to caress his face; it is both revealing and gently obscuring at the same time! It really gives the image this pensive aura, it feels as if he’s reflecting deeply or is just lost in some thought as that moment was captured. I bet you he never even realised that someone took the picture. Editor: It also raises interesting considerations about identity and presentation, I mean the carpet feels at odds with such formal garb as this; you rarely see such decoration nowadays which adds to that slightly distant historical perspective that it provides! Dupont clearly wishes to not only create a document of physical resemblance, but perhaps express some aspects related not only to status but something about the man. Curator: Absolutely! To sum up, that’s what art is for, after all, isn’t it? We strive to know a person, in the way we want to get closer to somebody's mind... Editor: Well articulated! Thanks for those final thoughts, it makes for a deeper consideration on what seems like an image of passing glance but really holds so much significance within that short moment captured.