[Group Portrait of the Antoine and Häusermann Families] 1850s - 1860s

Franz Antoine captured this formal gathering of the Antoine and Häusermann families in a photograph of the mid-19th century. The carefully posed figures offer a glimpse into the era's values and social structures. Note the garden setting, a symbol of cultivated nature and domestic harmony, popular in portraiture as far back as antiquity, suggesting an ordered and prosperous life. The family members are arranged with patriarchal formality, reflecting the societal hierarchy of the time. The women sit demurely, while the men stand or are posed in contemplation, echoing poses of authority. The presence of children signifies continuity and legacy, echoing similar imagery in religious painting of the Holy Family. However, here the sacred is replaced by the secular, the divine by the domestic. Consider how these motifs, passed down through centuries, evolve and adapt, reflecting our ever-changing cultural landscape. These visual echoes remind us that even in new forms, the past is always present.