Portret van drie onbekende jongetjes uit de familie Marmelstein 1861 - 1874

Editor: Here we have a gelatin silver print titled "Portrait of three unknown boys from the Marmelstein family", created sometime between 1861 and 1874 by Albert Greiner. They look so serious, perched and posed in what must have been their finest clothes. What strikes you when you see this photograph? Curator: Immediately, I consider the materiality of this image. Think of the labor involved - not only in the photographic process itself but in the children's clothing. Those outfits weren't mass produced. How does the studio setting, with its backdrop and props, influence our perception of this family's social standing and the very act of image-making in this time period? Editor: That’s a good point; I hadn't thought about the clothes so much. The one seated looks quite… uncomfortable. Do you think they chose this, or was it chosen for them? Curator: Exactly! What choices are available, materially and socially? Their dress, the set, Greiner's labor to produce a quality print, the consumption of these images by presumably wealthy families... all reinforce existing class structures. The photograph isn't just an aesthetic object, but a document embedded in a system of production and consumption. Think of how portraiture functions to represent the wealthy in any medium and era. Editor: That’s fascinating. Seeing it in that light really changes my understanding of the piece. Curator: Indeed, understanding art as enmeshed with materiality, production and social context opens up valuable insights beyond purely aesthetic interpretations. Editor: I will remember this! Thanks for sharing this approach to photography with me.