Portret van J.C. Brak 1862 - 1872

Adrien Tournachon produced this portrait of J.C. Brak on a piece of albumen silver print. In mid-nineteenth-century France, photography's arrival sparked heated debates about its status as art. Before photography, portraiture was an art of the upper classes. But due to the new medium's accessibility, members of the middle class could now afford to have their portraits taken. Photography, in its democratic spirit, did more than produce portraits. It provided a tool for cataloging the rapidly changing world around it, from scientific advances to ethnographic studies of far-off lands. The rise of photographic societies and journals further legitimized the medium, creating platforms for discussion and exhibition. To truly appreciate this portrait, it is essential to explore photographic archives, and period publications. By doing so, we understand not only the technical aspects of the image, but also the dynamic cultural and institutional context in which it was created.