Portret van een man 1860 - 1900

This is a portrait of a man by Auguste Anfray, a photograph mounted on card. Though undated, we might place it in the late 19th century, a time when photography was becoming increasingly accessible. Consider the rise of photography studios during this period. They democratized portraiture, allowing people outside the aristocracy to have their likeness captured. The subject's attire – a suit and tie – speaks to a growing middle class, keen to emulate the styles of the upper classes. The conventions of portraiture in painting are echoed here: the subject poses formally, gazing off to the side, in a manner that conveys respectability. Photographs like this offer invaluable insights into the social mores of the time. By researching photographic studios and their clientele in the late 19th century, we can better understand the social and economic forces that shaped the production and consumption of images like this.