Portret van een jongen, kijkend in een boek op een tafel 1865 - 1870

This portrait of a boy reading was made by Dagron et Cie., using photographic techniques. The image is diminutive, which speaks to its original function – to be collected and cherished. Photography, from its very start, has always been intertwined with questions of labor, politics, and consumption. In the 19th century, the rise of photography democratized portraiture, once the exclusive domain of painting. Studios like Dagron et Cie mass-produced these small images, making them accessible to a wider middle class eager to participate in the era's visual culture. The photograph, in this respect, served as a material expression of social mobility and self-fashioning, suggesting the changing status of the sitter. Note how the book serves as a prop, symbolizing the value placed on education and intellect. By considering photography as a manufactured object, we can understand its broader significance, challenging conventional notions of fine art.