Portret van een baby, zittend in een fauteuil 1880 - 1900

Editor: This is an interesting photo. It's called "Portrait of a Baby, Sitting in an Armchair," created sometime between 1880 and 1900, probably by B.J. Pottjewijd. It's a sepia-toned photograph and, looking at this chubby baby staring blankly, I immediately wonder – what was life like for babies at that time? What do you see in this piece? Curator: I see more than just a simple baby portrait; I see a constructed symbol. The heavy armchair dwarfs the infant, becoming a throne, almost. Consider the cultural weight of posture and presentation in 19th-century photography. Babies, often symbols of purity and hope, were carefully positioned to convey specific messages. Editor: So, the chair itself is a symbol? How so? Curator: Absolutely! Think about the rigid formality. The buttoned upholstery, the tasseled arms… These are indicators of bourgeois status and aspiration. Placing a baby, typically unbound, within this framework creates an intriguing tension. Does it hint at the constraints placed upon future generations? Or perhaps a quiet wish for the child to rise through the class system? What feelings does the tasseled chair elicit for you? Editor: I hadn’t thought of it like that, it adds so much meaning to an everyday object! The tasseled chair and the baby almost feel separate, now that you mention it. There is something both funny, and sad, about this contrast. Curator: Precisely. It makes us question the narratives we impose through imagery and material culture. It speaks of both vulnerability and enforced social identities, and the continuous reshaping of innocence. Editor: I will never look at old baby photos the same way again. This makes me see it from such a completely new perspective! Curator: And that's the power of symbols! They continue speaking to us across time, shifting their message depending on our viewpoint and societal norms.