Portret van een kind c. 1868 - 1871

This photograph, a carte-de-visite by Wegner & Mottu, captures a child seated regally on a carved chair. The presence of the chair is the first clue, for it is a symbol of authority and power. In ancient Rome, the sella curulis, an ivory seat, marked the seat of magistrates with imperium, while across cultures, thrones have denoted divine right or earned sovereignty. Here, the child’s posture and the chair's ornateness evoke such historical echoes, transforming an innocent portrait into something more significant. Note, too, how the child clutches a stuffed animal—a lamb, perhaps? This symbol links us to Christian iconography, where the lamb represents innocence, purity, and sacrifice. The animal acts as a comforting talisman, a bridge between the child's inner world and the demands of the external, adult world. This photograph makes palpable how symbols carry layers of meaning, their significance shifting through history, their power enduring.