Portret van een staand kind met pop in de hand 1880 - 1917

This small photographic print captures a child with a doll, and was made by Johannes Georg Jacobus van Arum. The photographic process itself is key here. The surface is smooth and matte, created through a chemical reaction. The tones are sepia, giving the image a sense of nostalgia. This contrasts with the crisp details of the child’s dress, the doll, and the ornate chair in the background. Photography in this era was tied to social status. It was a relatively new medium, and having one's portrait taken was a deliberate act, signifying a certain level of affluence. The very process of posing, printing, and preserving the image involved specialized labor and materials. Even the presentation of the photo, mounted in a decorative frame, reflects the social aspirations of the sitter. Considering the photograph in terms of its materials and production methods gives us insight into the world it represents, beyond just the charming image of a child and her doll.