Portret van een onbekende man op klompen, aangeduid als de heer J. v.d. Kaar 1864 - 1869

This is an undated photograph by Jan Breebaard, portraying a man in clogs. Its sepia tones and small size suggest a historical process, perhaps albumen printing, where the image is developed on paper coated with egg white. What strikes me most are the clogs themselves. Carved from a single piece of wood, they speak to a specific history of labor and place. The basket he holds also testifies to the labor required in its weaving. We don't know this man's exact occupation, but his dress and accessories suggest a life close to the land, reliant on manual skill. While photography is often seen as a "high-tech" medium, consider the amount of labor that would have gone into producing even a simple portrait like this. The photographer would have needed technical expertise, of course, but also a sensitivity to the social context in which he was working. Breebaard gives us more than a mere likeness, but a glimpse into a world where materials, making, and social identity were closely intertwined.