Portret van Jan Hooyberg 1881 - 1903

This photographic portrait of Jan Hooyberg was made by Max Cosman, a photographer working in Amsterdam in the late nineteenth century. Photography at this time was a complex, highly skilled process, a blend of science and craft. Consider the materiality of this object: a thin card coated with a light-sensitive emulsion, meticulously exposed and developed to capture Hooyberg’s likeness. The sepia tones, the slightly soft focus, the formal pose – all products of the techniques and aesthetics of the period. Photography offered a relatively affordable way for individuals to be memorialized, reflecting a shift in social values and the democratization of portraiture. Cosman's imprint at the bottom of the card, "Amsterdam, Galerij 48," speaks to the commercial aspect of his practice, part of a burgeoning industry catering to a growing middle class eager to participate in modern visual culture. By examining the materials and processes of this photograph, we gain insight into the social and economic forces that shaped its creation and its meaning.