Portret van een man in rokkostuum, staand bij een tafel 1860 - 1875

Curator: Here we have a photograph, "Portret van een man in rokkostuum, staand bij een tafel" by Daveluy, estimated to be from 1860-1875. It’s a genre painting executed using photography. Editor: The immediate impression? I feel a strange kind of reserved tension here. It’s like I walked in on him composing a very important thought and the presence of my lens sort of just...paused him. Curator: That’s a fascinating read. Considering the social context of 19th-century portraiture, particularly within burgeoning photographic practices, one could argue that these carefully staged photographs served to solidify bourgeois identities and aspirations, especially among men. Editor: Precisely. And isn’t it striking how reliant it is on the trappings of success to get that across? Look at that ridiculously ornamental little table that he has to touch to stay balanced in his full, official gear, watch chain on show! What an incredibly weird way to display authority! Curator: It absolutely reveals the carefully constructed nature of status. His formal attire speaks to his social standing, but consider also how this kind of pose was used to project power. In that sense the setting, clothing, the placement of his hands, none of it’s accidental. Editor: Right! This makes me question how much the actual “man” factors in, you know? It could be any chap standing there looking serious... He could be deeply unhappy; instead, what we’re buying into here is purely aspirational advertising for that particular societal echelon, really. Curator: Agreed. These commissioned photographs highlight a fascinating intersection of self-representation, social expectation, and the emerging technologies shaping societal norms during this period. The accessibility of photography was reshaping social classes. Editor: So, next time I see a photo like this, I won't think "a man" but "the construction of ideal manhood." Curator: Exactly. Recognizing those implicit biases can really open up discussion.