Portret van twee meisjes in witte jurken op een stoel met twee stukken speelgoed 1850 - 1900

Editor: Here we have a gelatin silver print, believed to be taken between 1850 and 1900, titled "Portrait of two girls in white dresses on a chair with two toys." The two figures look serious. A stark, tender image, would you agree? How do you see it? Curator: That's quite astute. Immediately, I think about how portraiture, at that time, involved a certain level of staging and formality, in contrast to today's spontaneity. And aren’t the little toy animals delightful? The very still life-esque bunny rabbit on the lower right reminds me a little of, hmm, what was it… that painting of… Ah! but you wouldn't want to hear about that. Consider the photographer: did they intentionally stage the pets on the lower foreground to emphasize themes of innocence or fragility, or even just because of some innocent intention? What do you reckon? Editor: I suppose it's impossible to say without knowing the photographer. Is the formal pose common for family portraits from this period? Curator: Indeed. There's an undeniable theatricality to these kinds of images. The subjects hold a pose, conscious of their presentation, aware they're crafting an image for posterity. The composition of children and toy elements might point to an aesthetic ideal of childhood innocence. This period idealized children as innocent beings. Don't you think this image beautifully mirrors those ideals? Editor: It definitely captures that feeling. Thanks, I had not thought of the formal aspects of these images when viewing the print! Curator: Anytime. And, I confess, next time I encounter an image like this, I'll now be looking for the 'still life' nature of the staging of childhood toys!