Portret van een man met snor en bril 1887 - 1900

Editor: Here we have "Portret van een man met snor en bril" by Wilhelm Frederick Antonius Delboy, made sometime between 1887 and 1900. It’s a gelatin-silver print. The photo feels faded and antique, like peering into a very distant past. The man's intense gaze behind those glasses makes me wonder, what secrets does this portrait hold? How do you interpret this work? Curator: Oh, I love getting lost in these old photographs! The very tangible feeling that a moment, captured in silver, outlived everyone present... that is an exciting sentiment. He almost looks like he's staring straight through us, doesn’t he? But consider how photography was regarded then—more of a scientific marvel than an art form, although some daring artists proved that to be wrong. And his very careful, intentional pose, framed by the photographer - is he trying to project an image of scholarly respectability? Or is there perhaps a hint of ironic humor in the exaggerated mustache? What do you feel when you consider this man's era, the technological progress, and its effects on his reality? Editor: I hadn't thought of the humour! I was so caught up in the seriousness of the pose. But maybe it’s both, seriousness *and* a little playfulness? I suppose people back then had a sense of humour, too. I hadn't really considered that element to this piece. Curator: Precisely! And doesn’t it just change everything when you allow space for that? These glimpses into the past are precious because they can trigger introspection in all of us and alter our interpretation of who we truly are. Editor: That's true. Thinking about it now, the image has more life to it somehow. Thanks, that's something to chew on.