Portret van een meisje c. 1852

Editor: Here we have Eduard Isaac Asser’s "Portret van een Meisje," a gelatin silver print from around 1852. It’s surprisingly…stark, I guess is the word. Something about the oval frame and the girl's direct gaze makes me wonder, what story do you think this photograph is trying to tell? Curator: That gaze, yes! It feels like she’s looking right through time. Early photography like this was so much more than a snapshot, wasn’t it? Imagine sitting still for that long, in that formal dress. It’s a statement of presence, almost defiant in its quietness. I’m thinking about all that we, as viewers, project onto her. I wonder if Asser considered what gazes might follow hers? Editor: I hadn’t thought about the sitter having to stay still for the camera! The focus is amazing given those conditions! It is interesting that her look remains. Almost challenging... Curator: It’s more than just the physical stillness, though. Think about the emotional stillness required. Early photography was an event, right? A moment laden with significance. What does that do to a person? I mean really. It would almost freeze one inside... or even outside, what do you see in that lace? Editor: Oh, I hadn’t even really focused on it. The delicate collar provides an interesting contrast. I do wonder if she wanted it there, almost like the real girl wanted the other girl to go. The dress also feels really somber for someone so young. It feels like it speaks volumes about the constraints placed on girls at that time, really sad. Curator: Beautifully put! So, it feels sad to you because of what? Of how it tells that sad story? But does the art also show you something of how people can persevere and show beauty and a little sass in terrible places? It sounds like she may well have, the artist and the subject. What do you think about the girl in the photo after thinking about the dress? Is she defiant of that reality somehow in this space, in her way? Editor: I see what you mean! It almost layers so many emotions – from the somberness to maybe this resilience peeking through. Seeing those nuances helps to see a person in here not just an object from the 1850's. I now think of it like a tiny act of defiance. Thanks for showing that to me. Curator: My pleasure entirely! Art’s always better with company. And a good dose of youthful seeing!