Portret van een staande man met kaarten, sigaar en wijn 1860 - 1880

Editor: So, we have here "Portrait of a Standing Man with Cards, Cigar, and Wine," taken between 1860 and 1880 by J. Peukert, using the albumen print process. It's a very formal composition. I’m struck by how staged it feels, and by how much the objects—the cards, the wine—seem to tell a story. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Immediately, I see a carefully constructed performance of bourgeois leisure and masculine identity. Let’s think about the albumen print itself: the labor involved in creating it, the chemistry, the delicate process. Photography at this time wasn’t easily accessible; it signified a certain class position to even commission such a portrait. What does the cigar and wine represent for him, culturally and economically? Editor: I guess they point to his affluence? Perhaps leisure time that allows him to indulge in those goods? It makes me think about the economic forces that allowed for these goods to even be available. Curator: Precisely! And how does this relate to the wider societal view of what constitutes the upper class? These items, arranged just so, are essentially props in constructing that persona. He is manufacturing, literally staging, this version of himself to fit in. And let's consider who this photographer, J. Peukert, was. What sort of labor did they contribute? Are they also complicit? Editor: I hadn't thought about Peukert's role in all of that. The photographer and the sitter collaborated in crafting this staged image. Curator: Absolutely! Thinking about the materials and processes, the labor involved, makes us reconsider the artwork's very existence. Editor: Right, it isn't just about the man; it’s about everything that makes that portrayal possible. I learned so much about a simple picture. Curator: Me too! And it underscores the importance of critically assessing the social and material frameworks of any artwork.