Portret van Tobias M.C. Asser, neef van de fotograaf Possibly 1849

Editor: Here we have a daguerreotype, a photograph really, dating back to approximately 1849. It's a portrait of Tobias M.C. Asser, captured by his uncle, Eduard Isaac Asser. It's strikingly small and looks almost like a mirror. What strikes you when you look at it? Curator: I think it is significant because it provides a glimpse into the democratizing force of early photography. Previously, portraiture was largely exclusive to the wealthy who could afford to commission painted portraits. What this image tells me is the emerging middle class, now able to afford a photographic portrait, began to participate in the construction and dissemination of their own image. Note how the subject is formally posed, mimicking painting conventions. Does this suggest an attempt to claim the same social status represented by painted portraits? Editor: That’s a fascinating point about democratizing representation. So you see the formal pose as a signifier of aspiration? I was more focused on how the surface almost looks damaged. Curator: Precisely. And the damage, interestingly, becomes part of the photograph's story. Consider how time and handling – the marks of institutional and personal histories – have altered the original image. It raises questions about preservation, accessibility, and how we, as viewers today, engage with such historical objects in the museum. What responsibility do institutions like the Rijksmuseum have in preserving this, and making it accessible? Editor: That makes me consider how the marks almost add another layer of depth, showing how the past interacts with the present. Thanks, I’ll certainly be looking at this piece in a different light from now on! Curator: And I'll consider more carefully the effects of the work's materiality.