Portret van een onbekende man, aangeduid als de heer Jobben 1874 - 1887

Editor: Here we have a photograph from the Rijksmuseum collection, dating roughly between 1874 and 1887. It’s a gelatin silver print, a portrait by Albert Greiner titled "Portret van een onbekende man, aangeduid als de heer Jobben" or "Portrait of an Unknown Man, Referred to as Mr. Jobben." I find the formality of the sitter striking. What can you tell us about it? Curator: It's important to recognize that the rise of photography democratized portraiture. Suddenly, not just the wealthy could afford to have their likeness preserved. However, the performative aspect remains fascinating. How much is "Mr. Jobben" curating his own image here? His suit, tie, and serious demeanor project a certain status, a striving for middle-class respectability perhaps? Editor: That’s interesting. So you’re saying it's not just a straightforward representation but a constructed identity? Curator: Precisely! Photography, like painting before it, became a tool for social mobility. Think about the studios popping up – Greiner in Amsterdam, in this case. They were businesses catering to a desire, a hunger, for visual representation within a specific social framework. What does this tell us about late 19th-century Dutch society? Editor: That makes me consider the context of photography at the time and the sitter's choices to align with that context to signal something about himself. This wasn’t just about capturing an image. Curator: Exactly. It highlights the constructed nature of photographic truth and the powerful role imagery plays in shaping social perceptions and individual identities. The photographic studio becomes a stage for social performance. Editor: I'll definitely think about portraiture in terms of performance now, and what that performance says about its time. Thank you. Curator: My pleasure! It's these little-known portraits that often provide the richest insights into the past.