Portret van een man en een vrouw c. 1860 - 1870

Editor: So, here we have a photographic portrait from around the 1860s or 70s, titled "Portret van een man en een vrouw." It's an albumen print, that sepia tone is so characteristic of the era. There's a certain formality, almost stiffness, to their pose. What stands out to you when you look at this piece? Curator: Stiffness is a great word. To me, the couple’s restrained presentation really speaks to Victorian ideals. There’s such an emphasis on propriety in their clothing and bearing; the woman’s elaborate dress and the man's respectable suit...do you get the sense they were aware of performing for the camera, presenting a particular image? Editor: Definitely! It feels so posed, like they're trying really hard to project a certain image of themselves, maybe for posterity or family. I wonder what their life was *really* like. It’s a little bit…sad, maybe? Curator: It *could* be sad! Or perhaps, beautifully considered? I wonder if that careful composition —the woman standing protectively near her seated companion—doesn't speak volumes. I also wonder, considering they decided on a shared image: did they consider their narratives would forever intertwine? That their existences and afterlives, however anonymous to the wider world, would be linked? It gets you thinking! Editor: I didn’t consider the intertwined narrative. Thinking about this being preserved… Their lives being *bound together*. The photo transforms from something stiff to something profoundly connected. Curator: Exactly. The mundane reveals a deep truth when we sit and give it some attention. It changes how *I* see things, too! Thanks!