Portret van twee onbekende Surinaamse mannen 1857 - 1894

Editor: We’re looking at “Portret van twee onbekende Surinaamse mannen,” an albumen print from sometime between 1857 and 1894, attributed to Selomoh del Castilho. There’s a quiet dignity about these two men, isn't there? What really jumps out at you when you look at this portrait? Curator: Dignity is a perfect word. You see two men, anonymous to us now, yet present, asserting their existence through the very act of being photographed. It's a seemingly simple image, yet consider its historical weight. Photography, then, was still quite novel. The choice to commission a portrait, the formality of their attire...it speaks volumes, doesn’t it? Do you get a sense of their status or purpose in their community? Editor: I suppose I do. Their clothes look pretty nice. So you think they're purposefully trying to control how they are perceived, instead of it being a candid portrait? Curator: Control is interesting. I think that their composure is significant, as if pushing against some possible perception in that time. As a photographic image in this era, it serves almost as defiance, to say, 'I am here.' Their stillness also invites reflection – on identity, on representation, on the complicated tapestry of history, wouldn’t you say? What sort of stories do you imagine behind their eyes? Editor: It’s tough to say, but maybe some hope, pride, maybe a little bit of anxiety, just guessing! This image definitely made me rethink portraiture in that time. Curator: Indeed. And isn't that the magic of art, to spark those questions, to unsettle our assumptions, and make us feel closer to other perspectives? Editor: I think so too. Definitely gave me something to consider today.