Portret van Arjen Bernhart Mulder 1892 - 1909

Curator: Here we have a portrait from between 1892 and 1909, identified as 'Portret van Arjen Bernhart Mulder' and believed to be the work of Idanus Hendrikus Slaterus. It's a gelatin-silver print. What are your initial impressions? Editor: Stark. Almost haunting. It's the tonality, all those faded sepia tones give him an air of timelessness but also something melancholy. Is this what people felt they looked like? Curator: Photography at the turn of the century was often trying to emulate painting. There's a softness to the image, a slight blurring around the edges which is typical of pictorialism—photography as fine art. They saw it as more than just documentation. Editor: And look at the process itself. A gelatin-silver print means a complex chemical dance, light coaxing silver halides to reveal this image of Mr. Mulder. Think of the skill in developing it! There was a certain preciousness afforded this process. This wasn’t a quick snapshot; this was labor. Curator: Yes, the physicality of it! It’s quite romantic to consider actually. But the very specific material used adds a unique texture; that smooth surface contrasting the depth found within Mr. Mulder’s expression. Editor: You can almost smell the chemicals in the darkroom when looking at this, that alchemical mixing, the dark red light... but speaking of textures, I am drawn back to the gentleman. The beard, the fabric of the jacket... what do you think he was like, what class do you suppose he was, from these things? Curator: The dark suit suggests respectability, a middle-class profession perhaps. It’s difficult to glean personality solely from a photograph but his gaze… direct, thoughtful. There is some quietness, even a little weariness maybe? But also definitely determination in those eyes. Editor: I can agree with all those things. Still, a small print, carefully framed—meant for intimate viewing. We now get to share something deeply personal from all that time ago. The way he wanted to be seen. Curator: Absolutely. An echo from another time, made tangible again. Editor: So many ways of thinking about what an object is!