Portret van D.C. Meijer Jr. c. 1890 - 1908

Curator: Hello. Let's turn our attention to this compelling portrait here at the Rijksmuseum. It’s a gelatin-silver print dating from around 1890 to 1908, attributed to Machiel Hendricus Laddé. The artwork is entitled “Portret van D.C. Meijer Jr." Editor: Instantly, there's a sort of misty gravity to it. The way the sitter seems to emerge from the background, almost like a spectral figure. What secrets are you keeping, sir? It feels intensely… private, in a way. Curator: You know, these cabinet cards were incredibly popular at the time. They democratized portraiture, making it accessible to a wider audience than painted portraits ever could. Consider the power of image-making being handed over to the bourgeoisie, suddenly able to immortalize themselves and their families. Editor: Democratization through photography. That’s a powerful thing. And look at him. He’s someone who’s seen things, definitely part of that bourgeois wave you're talking about. The side whiskers are magnificent – very characteristic of the time, a bit theatrical almost. But his eyes…there is an unmistakable weariness. Curator: It’s the magic of photography isn't it? Revealing what paint sometimes conceals. The photograph flattens social differences while simultaneously reinforcing them. The rise of the professional photographer coincided with this booming middle class, so studios popped up everywhere offering these affordable portraits. It's interesting to note the photographer’s brand so clearly printed at the bottom; a clever marketing technique, yes? Editor: Definitely savvy marketing. But you're right; that accessibility is fascinating. Everyone could have their moment, captured in light and silver. What a concept! It shifts the perception of worth and remembrance, almost hauntingly so. Curator: Precisely. And that tension is, for me, what makes it so deeply engaging. It’s an artifact and art—entangled. Editor: Well, I’m certainly seeing the portrait in a new light now—excuse the pun! Thank you. Curator: And thank you, for those illuminating impressions. It all adds to the ongoing story this photograph tells.