Zestien portretten van balletdansers before 1893

Editor: This is "Zestien portretten van balletdansers" - Sixteen Portraits of Ballet Dancers - dating from before 1893 by Nadar. It's a print made using collotype and it's located here at the Rijksmuseum. There's something about seeing them all grouped together that makes me wonder about the experience of ballet dancers at the time. What can you tell me about this image, looking at it from a historical context? Curator: It’s interesting to consider the public role of dancers, especially within the socio-political environment of late 19th-century Paris. Photography itself was relatively new, right? So how do you think it altered perceptions, compared to say, painted portraits? Editor: Well, it potentially made them more accessible to a wider audience? Less idealised, perhaps? Curator: Precisely. Photography played a crucial role in shaping public perception, democratizing imagery in a way. But think about who controlled those images, who profited? Were the dancers involved in these decisions, or were they passive subjects? Consider, too, how the male gaze likely influenced their representation, reflecting societal power structures of the time. It's also worth noting who *didn't* get photographed. Editor: That makes me wonder about representation and who had the privilege to be seen and remembered this way. Curator: Absolutely. Thinking about art’s role in preserving certain narratives while obscuring others encourages us to examine whose stories are told, and whose are left out. This work also underscores the relationship between the photographer, the photographed and their social world. Editor: This has really broadened my understanding of the picture! Thanks for your insights. Curator: And you’ve highlighted the photograph’s compelling immediacy. It shows that artworks are not neutral objects; they actively reflect their own era.