Portret van een echtpaar 1880 - 1910

This small portrait of a couple was made by Ernst Lürs, using the photographic processes of his time. Photography, like all technologies, has its own materiality. Here, we see the unique tonal range and crisp detail that early photographic chemistry could achieve. Consider the labor involved: not just the photographer's skill in posing and developing, but also the industrial processes that produced the chemicals, the paper, and the camera itself. These elements are as crucial to the image as the couple's attire. The photograph's sepia tone, the texture of the paper, and the careful framing are all integral to its meaning. Looking closely, we realize that this isn't just a picture; it's a product of a specific time, place, and set of industrial conditions. The image is inextricably linked to the socio-economic forces that shaped its production. Appreciating this reminds us that all art is made of materials and processes that are embedded in a wider world of labor, politics, and consumption.