Curatorial notes
Max Blum produced this portrait of a woman with photography, but without a date, we can investigate the likely social context. The woman's attire hints at the emerging middle class of late 19th-century Europe; her jewelry and carefully chosen garments speak of rising social mobility. Photography's increasing accessibility allowed families to document and perform their status. Consider too, the conventions of portraiture at the time, usually the preserve of the wealthy. What happens to a culture when these conventions are democratized? Further research into photography studios of the era, supplemented by local archives, might reveal more about both Blum and his sitter. We can better understand how the democratization of imagery intersected with the complex social structures of the time, and photography's role in shaping social identities. Art doesn’t exist in a vacuum, it’s deeply embedded in its time.
