Portret van een zittende jongetje met een baby 1870 - 1890

Curator: Immediately, the subdued tones evoke this uncanny sense of nostalgia, like peering into a sepia-toned dream. Editor: Precisely. We’re looking at a late 19th-century albumen print, titled "Portret van een zittende jongetje met een baby", likely crafted between 1870 and 1890 by the photographic studio Mondel & Jacob. Curator: It is a poignant image—the stark innocence in the eyes of these children hits a chord. What story are they trying to convey in these portraits? Editor: Well, the albumen print process involved coating paper with egg white—albumen—to create a smooth surface for the light-sensitive chemicals. It yielded a sharp image, capable of capturing fine details. Photography during this time was more expensive, and often became important family documentation. Curator: A meticulous method for immortalizing, capturing, but also solidifying specific notions of innocence. The almost ritualistic framing adds to that feeling, don't you think? Editor: Absolutely. The materiality contributes significantly to its value as a precious artifact and, the act of preserving such photographs in albums became fashionable amongst middle class Victorians and became linked to notions of domesticity. It becomes a valuable asset passed through generations and the cost could also imply status or worth. Curator: These stiffly posed images... I find them intriguing—they present this idealized facade, masking a spectrum of social constraints beneath the surface. Editor: In these commissioned portraits the presentation mattered more than expressing spontaneous action, often. Looking closely, notice also the paper, the gilded frame – are they just enhancing the image or competing for our attention? I'd say it’s both. Curator: Perhaps that friction itself mirrors a wider sentiment of that era - this need for manufactured decorum versus unexpressed or unexplored freedoms. Food for thought, at least. Editor: Undeniably so! This material and production processes shape not only the image we see but reflect aspects about social value too. It’s a powerful photograph offering complex reflections.