Portret van een onbekende jongeman 1873 - 1884

Editor: Here we have a gelatin-silver print from between 1873 and 1884, entitled "Portret van een onbekende jongeman," or Portrait of an Unknown Young Man, attributed to J.J. Geels. There's a sort of melancholy about his expression, like he knows something we don’t. What strikes you about this photograph? Curator: He does look like he is guarding a secret! It’s remarkable, isn't it, how a simple photograph can convey such depth. For me, the magic lies in the everyday. Look at his ordinary coat, his slightly tousled hair, the simple studio backdrop. This is not some grand, idealized depiction, but rather a fleeting moment captured from real life. Doesn’t it make you wonder about his story, the dreams he harbored? Editor: It absolutely does. Do you think the use of the gelatin-silver print affects how we read it, compared to, say, a painted portrait of the time? Curator: That’s a great question. The immediacy of photography lends it an authenticity, almost like a stolen glance. A painted portrait, while perhaps more technically refined, can sometimes feel posed, constructed. This feels raw, genuine. He feels incredibly present despite being separated by almost a century and a half of time. It’s almost unsettling, isn't it? Editor: It really is! It makes me think about all the stories that photography can hold, and the mysteries behind the people who lived them. I now look at his kind eyes in a different way. Curator: Precisely! The photograph becomes more than just an image; it's a portal to another time. Thanks for letting me travel a little bit with you.