Buste van keizer Hadrianus 1851 - 1890

Curator: Here we have a striking photographic portrait titled "Buste van keizer Hadrianus," dating from between 1851 and 1890. Editor: My first impression is the stern elegance. The light plays across the curls and the planes of the face, really emphasizing the inherent tension in a portrait like this. What can you tell us about its artistic qualities? Curator: It's interesting that you observe this tension, because formally, the photograph adheres to classical-realist principles, mimicking the artistic aesthetics of the subject. We see a masterful depiction of light and shadow playing on the sculpted surfaces. The artist is clearly focused on accurate rendering of the bust, emphasizing structure and form. The subject fills the space. Editor: While that may be the final product’s artistic result, it's not a genuine classical-realist work from Hadrian’s era, but it makes me question who chose to recreate it at that time and, given photography's mechanical reproducibility, what this tells us about changing labor and taste dynamics within society during the latter half of the 19th Century. The marble’s labor and production history remains, even in a photo, especially since photographs became ways for middle classes to see/attain objects that, previously, might have been solely afforded by the wealthy, perhaps, is what I'm hinting at? Curator: The tension you describe lies perhaps between that classicizing impulse and the relatively novel medium of photography attempting to capture it. The photograph’s monochromatic palette throws our eyes straight towards composition; that this image can reach audiences more immediately certainly would’ve been revolutionary. Editor: Ultimately, it encourages the question: does this image serve to democratize access to the elite world represented by Emperor Hadrian, or does it further codify class divisions by transforming artworks into commodities of the image? What an excellent paradox to end on. Curator: Indeed, something to consider as we turn to the next work.