Portret van Étienne Laray als Jacques in Les Deux Orphelines before 1875

Curator: There's a stillness about this image that I find compelling, despite all the surrounding commotion of the print. Editor: Indeed. What you're seeing is a photographic print entitled "Portret van Étienne Laray als Jacques in Les Deux Orphelines," placing it before 1875. The work is attributed to Etienne Carjat and resides here at the Rijksmuseum. It's interesting to see photography embedded within this larger theatrical announcement. Curator: A photo within a document announcing... well, a lot of things it seems! There's this bold portrait in sepia tones, of a man, an actor by the looks of it, dressed up and placed very strategically. It's a very specific record of an identity, yet, ironically printed among news and advertisement. I love this interplay between theater and reality. Editor: Absolutely. And to expand on that interplay, “Les Deux Orphelines" itself was a very popular melodrama. The photograph then isn’t just a portrait but a strategic piece of advertisement designed to draw audiences through recognizable personas. Curator: Makes sense. And what about Laray himself? There's a real vulnerability, a delicate energy in his expression, doesn’t it seem a bit at odds with the bravado of theater or the loudness of promotion? Editor: That contrast could very well be deliberate. Melodramas are designed to pull at emotional heartstrings. This portrayal might invite empathy and recognition amongst potential audience members, while functioning also as this interesting historic and media artifact. Curator: It's the kind of image that makes me question: What aspects of our public image are real? And, also, How much is pure stagecraft? Food for thought. Editor: Precisely. This offers a crucial perspective on performance, media and persona as intrinsically connected historical and cultural narratives.