Mathias Häusermann 1850s - 1860s

Curator: Looking at this portrait, there is a palpable air of self-assuredness, wouldn't you agree? The angle of his arm, the way he holds his hat. Editor: Indeed. This daguerreotype, dating from the 1850s or 1860s, captures Mathias Häusermann, and it offers us such insight into the construction of 19th-century identity. It is currently located at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Curator: The use of light and shadow, though subtle in this medium, gives dimension to his face and clothing. See how the fabric of the drape falls into and out of focus as well. A statement, no doubt, given its placement next to him, offering an obvious indication of class. Editor: I agree, and it is difficult to discern the particular fabric of the textile. Is that pattern intended to resemble damask, perhaps? Certainly, these details would have carried significant symbolic weight for contemporary viewers. Consider how portraiture, then and now, serves to cement one's presence, one's place in the social order. This daguerreotype achieves it. Curator: There’s a Romantic sensibility as well, one could even apply formalism by analyzing his posture to reveal insight, that conveys a clear statement through its structure: stability mixed with worldliness, maybe even intelligence through the specific tilt of the head, but the semiotics feel a little out of my reach today. Editor: Absolutely. We can imagine him carefully choosing how he wished to be remembered. I think the formal arrangement works perfectly to serve his self-fashioning. It provides such a complex visual tapestry—not just what he looked like but how he wanted to be perceived for years to come. Curator: The careful framing—the oval shape—only emphasizes that sense of preservation, don't you think? Editor: Undeniably. Reflecting upon this photographic work, it is clear it has both effectively captured and transmitted cultural symbols of class, perhaps even the values Häusermann most wanted to perpetuate.