[Paul Jacob Naftel] 1860s

Editor: This is a photograph titled "[Paul Jacob Naftel]", taken in the 1860s by John and Charles Watkins. It's an albumen print. The portrait has this contemplative, almost wistful air about it. I am particularly intrigued by the table; it looks quite elaborate for a photograph backdrop. What do you see in this piece? Curator: The ornate table and the chair are interesting symbols here. Consider the mid-19th century’s burgeoning middle class. They yearned for respectability, and what better way to assert it than through carefully chosen props? Editor: So, these props signal something about his social standing? Curator: Precisely. The beard, the clothing, the carved furniture; it speaks to a particular aspiration. Note also how he looks off to the side, instead of at us, which adds to a narrative feel, even a melancholy. Are you picking up on that narrative element as well? Editor: I do. He seems almost… removed. Distant. Do you think there’s any specific significance to the direction he’s looking? Curator: The averted gaze could signify a longing or a connection to the past or another space entirely. He could also be posing and his gaze is directed by the photographer. It hints at a story we aren't fully privy to, doesn't it? This withholding creates its own symbolism. Editor: That makes sense. It's like we're invited to fill in the blanks. Thank you. I’ll definitely be more attentive to symbolic elements of this type when looking at photographs from this time. Curator: The real joy in art, I think, is in discovering that symbolism anew.