Portret van een onbekende man met een baard before 1881

Editor: Here we have an interesting photographic portrait, "Portret van een onbekende man met een baard," created by P. Piquepé before 1881. I’m struck by the stark contrast of the dark, formal suit against his very prominent, light-colored beard. What is most compelling from your point of view? Curator: From a materialist perspective, the ‘before 1881’ dating is critical. Think of the specific processes and labor involved in early photography – the preparation of the glass plates, the long exposure times necessitating stillness, the development process, and finally, the creation of a physical print. Then, what social function does this artifact fulfill, as we view and contemplate this portrait? Editor: It seems almost like an antique calling card. What was involved in making such an object? Curator: Exactly. We can see from the inscription ‘cliche sans retouche’ on the page surrounding the photograph on the left, literally ‘negative without retouching’ , suggests an intent for honesty. Each step from preparing the chemicals for the photographic process, to sitting for the photo itself, and developing that photo, and mounting this photograph represents embodied labor and technical skill in a burgeoning market, and potentially changing understandings of self-representation in the Victorian Era. Consider what those details meant to a contemporary viewer? Editor: So, the labor, and materials, from glass plates to the ink used in the printing surrounding it, contribute significantly to the overall meaning? Curator: Precisely! How the technology and manual processes influence artistic expression and our interpretation, and also understanding it as commodity available on the market is really relevant. The value and social dynamics it represented. Editor: I see how focusing on production and materiality unveils social insights of this photo that just analyzing subject or composition could obscure. Thanks! Curator: Absolutely, and that materiality always is embedded with broader social relations. That's a perspective which can be very enriching to understanding all artworks, and art history more broadly.