Portret van Henri Deloose before 1898

This portrait of Henri Deloose, of unknown date and authorship, is a printed image, likely a photogravure, carefully bound into a book. The velvety texture and soft gradations of tone would have been achieved through an etching process, using a photographically produced resist. The result is an image of great tonal depth, a far cry from the pixelated surfaces of today’s digital prints. But even more significant than the print itself, is its inclusion in a bound volume, which must have been produced in multiple to be cost-effective. This speaks to the gradual democratization of image production – an early stage of the mass media we know today. While a painted portrait would have been a status symbol affordable only by the wealthy, here we see an image, mechanically reproduced, which suggests a new form of social visibility. The book itself, with its typography and ornamental borders, is a testament to the industrialization of design and printmaking. By considering not just the image, but also its means of production, we see the emergence of a modern visual culture, with all its social and political ramifications.