Zelfportret zittend aan een tafel 1864 - 1879

Editor: Here we have a gelatin silver print, "Self-Portrait Seated at a Table," made sometime between 1864 and 1879 by Leonard de Koningh. It’s got that hazy, antique quality that you expect from old photography, and the man's expression seems so serious. How do you interpret this work, beyond just a simple portrait? Curator: I see this portrait as a fascinating intersection of class, technology, and identity in the 19th century. Photography was still a relatively new medium, and portraits like this weren't just about capturing a likeness. They were about asserting social status. Editor: Interesting, what in the picture speaks of social status? Curator: Consider the subject's formal attire, the carefully arranged table cloth, the very act of commissioning a photograph itself. This wasn't accessible to everyone. It speaks volumes about privilege and the desire to be remembered, to leave a mark in a rapidly changing world. In this moment, who has control over who has their picture taken? And what assumptions were they making about themselves and others? Editor: So, it's not just a portrait, it's a statement? Curator: Precisely! It reflects the sitter's aspirations, how they wished to be seen within a rigid social hierarchy. A self-portrait even more so allows the sitter agency in presentation, with deliberate implications. Editor: I never considered the agency granted through a self-portrait. I now appreciate that early photography had layers of social meaning built into what I had perceived as a simple picture! Curator: Exactly, recognizing the broader context transforms our understanding and appreciation.