Portret van een jongen bij een lessenaar c. 1860 - 1895

This photograph, ‘Portret van een jongen bij een lessenaar’ is by Franz Wilhelm Deutmann. Taken in the era of early photography, this print would have been made using a darkroom, chemicals, glass plates, and sunlight. While the final image appears straightforward, the process required expertise and attention to detail. The subject, a boy at his desk, is likely from a well-off family given the expense associated with photographic portraiture at this time. Photographs from this era were often hand-tinted, and carefully composed. In contrast, here the surface is matte with subtle gradations of tone. The photographer likely saw the process as an artistic statement. Think of the labor involved, from the mining of materials for the photographic plates to the craftsmanship required for the desk itself. Ultimately, this image asks us to consider how technology shapes not only art but also social status. It blurs the lines between industrial process, artistic expression, and social documentation.