Portret van een jonge vrouw 1884 - 1910

Editor: Here we have "Portret van een jonge vrouw," created sometime between 1884 and 1910 by Johan Gerard Lubbers. It’s an albumen print, part of a larger photographic album. I’m immediately drawn to the almost ethereal quality of the image, softened by the photographic process itself. What’s your take? Curator: It’s intriguing how this "albumen print," a very specific and laborious process, transforms the sitter. Albumen, derived from egg whites, was used to bind the photographic chemicals to the paper. We should really consider the labor involved in the creation of this photograph. Editor: Labor? In what sense? Curator: Think about it: someone had to collect the eggs, separate the whites, prepare the solution, coat the paper, expose it... and that’s just one print! It wasn’t as simple as clicking a button on your phone. Also, reflect on who had access to the technology and the materials necessary for such photography. This young woman’s access to a photographer is reflective of her social standing. Editor: So, it's not just about the final image but about understanding the means of its production and the socio-economic context? Curator: Exactly! The materiality of the albumen print—the paper, the chemicals, the eggs—becomes a crucial lens through which to analyze the portrait. These elements inform the very consumption and making of art at the time. And who had enough disposable income to produce this photograph and sit for it? What was its intended audience? Editor: That changes my perception entirely. It encourages me to question what materials went into art production during that period. Curator: And that in turn makes us aware of the social dynamics that were implicitly recorded in a photograph.