Portret van de schilder Bodin, halffiguur 1861

Curator: Here we have Joseph Dupont's "Portret van de schilder Bodin, halffiguur," a gelatin-silver print dating back to 1861. Editor: Oof, instantly makes me think of a Victorian novel. A serious artist caught between the world and his muse. Kind of intense, wouldn't you say? Curator: I'd say so. Photography at this time really mirrored portrait painting, lending gravitas. The Realist movement was in full swing too, which aimed to capture the truth of everyday life and its people, so portraying Bodin directly reflects that aim. Editor: The texture's something, too—it makes the guy’s beard look almost touchable. I get the urge to see the world through his eyes, almost feel what he’s feeling... a touch melodramatic, maybe? Curator: Maybe a little, but understandable. Consider the role photography had in solidifying social identities. A portrait like this broadcasted an artist’s place within cultural circles. The image itself also becomes a historical document. Editor: He seems really focused; I mean his eyes grab you instantly. Makes you wonder what he was thinking, you know? Or maybe it’s just good posing. I always struggle in photos. Curator: Photography's development introduced all sorts of concerns around capturing true likenesses and psychological states. Consider that while portrait paintings could embellish and flatter, photography was generally viewed as uncomfortably and mechanically accurate. The clothing is very precise too: a double-breasted overcoat over a carefully draped checked cloth, most probably worn in the comfort of an interior. Editor: And those hands… kind of delicate. It’s fascinating how photography captures all these little things that could easily get overlooked. Curator: It is a fine, direct study and its value extends beyond artistic considerations into questions about who got to be represented, and what purposes photographic images served at that moment in French society. Editor: Yeah, it makes you think. Seeing this picture now it connects us to someone who lived a century and a half ago. Sort of amazing how much, and how little, can change.