Portret van een staande man met snor en bakkebaarden 1850s - 1860s

Curator: Here we have a rather intriguing portrait, dating from the 1850s or 60s. It's a daguerreotype, a very early photographic process, entitled "Portret van een staande man met snor en bakkebaarden"—or "Portrait of a Standing Man with Moustache and Sideburns"—attributed to Hermanus Philippus Jacobus Schuiten, part of the Rijksmuseum collection. Editor: What strikes me first is the almost sepia wash of history, the delicate aging around the edges. He looks a little melancholy, perhaps? As if burdened by the weight of that impressive moustache and those… exuberant sideburns! Curator: Indeed! Daguerreotypes are unique objects, one-of-a-kind. This fellow, posed so formally, becomes a window into a specific historical moment. The rise of photography democratized portraiture, suddenly, the middle classes, too, could claim their own immortalization! Editor: And suddenly everyone’s worried about how their sideburns look for all of eternity. Think of the pressure! Though I wonder what his story was, outside the suit and carefully chosen pose. I bet he had opinions about… I don't know... wallpaper. Curator: It’s tempting to create fictions. But in a way, the image *is* his story. He commissioned it, selected his attire, probably chose the angle, all signalling his aspirations and status within society. The detail – observe the watch chain! Editor: I see it, yes. Such a tiny detail and still it evokes an entire social fabric. He definitely wanted to appear a man of substance. All that’s missing is a dramatic reading of some earnest poetry. Curator: Precisely. Daguerreotypes also had a very particular social function. They were often given as gifts, tokens of affection and remembrance. He may have offered this portrait to his beloved! Editor: Ah, now we’re back to wallpaper…or maybe his collection of exotic ferns! Either way, this little glimpse through the photochemical portal reminds us that behind every antique portrait there’s a soul just as complex as our own. Curator: Yes, the photograph offered then, as now, both record and symbol; and looking closely, we glimpse at once the tangible past, and our inevitable relationship to it.