Portret van Katrien Enkelaar met hond 1900 - 1910

Editor: This gelatin silver print, “Portret van Katrien Enkelaar met hond,” made sometime between 1900 and 1910 by Anton Cornelis Thomann, gives me a solemn feeling. There's such stillness and formality. What do you see when you look at it? Curator: I see the echoes of societal expectations rendered in monochrome. Notice how the dog, seated almost regally beside the girl, reflects not just companionship, but also status. Dogs, historically, served as symbols of loyalty, protection, and even aristocracy, indicating wealth or at least a certain social standing. What does their shared, seemingly forced, stillness convey to you? Editor: Maybe a lack of spontaneity? The photograph feels posed and deliberate. Perhaps it was meant to project a certain image of propriety? Curator: Precisely. In those times, portraits were about presenting an ideal self, a face to the world carefully constructed through attire, pose, and even the props included, like the dog. How do you think the girl's hat contributes to this ideal? Editor: It looks quite large and elaborate, suggesting she’s dressed up. Like she’s performing a role for the camera. Curator: Exactly. Everything here points towards performance, towards upholding a certain vision of Dutch respectability. What an incredible insight into a bygone era, wouldn’t you say? Editor: Absolutely! I hadn't considered how much symbolism could be packed into such a seemingly simple photograph.