Portret van een onbekende jongeman 1855 - 1890

C. Schlötel captured this young man's likeness using photography, a fairly new technology at the time. The sepia tone is achieved through a chemical process using silver salts and developing agents on a paper base. This was a significant shift from painting, which for centuries had been the primary medium for portraiture. Photography democratized image-making, allowing a wider segment of society to participate in visual representation. The rise of photography studios also created new jobs, and the circulation of images contributed to visual culture, enabling people to see and be seen in unprecedented ways. The rise of photography, as a way of image making, shifted our understanding of aesthetics. It disrupted traditional hierarchies between art and craft. Instead of focusing solely on the artist's skill, we might also consider the collaborative nature of photographic production, involving technicians, chemists, and even the sitter themselves. This makes us reconsider what we value in our images and objects.