Portret van een zittende baby 1880 - 1910

Editor: This is “Portret van een zittende baby,” a portrait photograph taken sometime between 1880 and 1910 by Eug. Jos. Mertens. It has such a wistful quality, don’t you think? What jumps out at you when you look at it? Curator: Ah, the pensive infant! For me, it's like stumbling upon a hidden memory. I imagine Mertens setting up his equipment, the baby probably bewildered by all the fuss. You know, back then, posing for a photo was quite a production. What was he thinking, what were the parents hoping for? Editor: Definitely a performance, frozen in time! I keep wondering about the symbolism of the fur that the baby is sitting on. Curator: Good eye! The fur, while comfortable, creates this sense of primal innocence against civilization's artifice. Or perhaps it speaks to a desire for a softer, more nurturing world for the child. I can almost smell that strange, slightly dusty smell of old photography. Editor: It makes me wonder about all the unspoken expectations placed on children, then and now. Curator: Exactly! And isn't that what great art does? It asks more questions than it answers. I am particularly curious how childhood photography has shifted since then. I mean, are we really more free of expectations when snapping away? Editor: That’s something I'll be pondering for a while, thanks! Curator: Me too! Each gaze into that little face can conjure different visions. Wonderful isn't it!