Portret van een onbekend meisje staand op stoel 1864 - 1877

Editor: This is a photograph entitled "Portret van een onbekend meisje staand op stoel," made sometime between 1864 and 1877 by A. Delamare & A. Raguet. The sepia tone and the little girl’s stance, perched on that chair… it all feels so serious, yet so fragile. What strikes you when you look at this? Curator: There's a whole world tucked into that little portrait, isn’t there? It whispers stories. The child’s unease, almost – perched up there, posing. I feel that vulnerability so clearly. Do you sense the careful arrangement? Not just her placement but everything surrounding her seems calculated. The backdrop... it's as though we're invited into a stage play where she is the main performer. I am curious to know why the child is elevated on the chair; to look more important? Taller? What do you think? Editor: I agree, it is carefully staged. Perhaps it’s to make her look older, or more…regal, maybe? Although the expression on her face makes it difficult to believe that she believes that she is, in fact, regal. Curator: Absolutely! And don't you think that disonance between expectation and truth is so wonderfully human? Also, consider the rise of photography at the time, think about having one's portrait taken - it would have been momentous occasion. Something to remember this young person by for posterity, and with the ornate studio furniture in place the photograph now almost creates a painting for the modern age! Editor: It’s strange to think this fleeting moment, posed and preserved, gives us this little window into another time. Thank you for opening that window wider! Curator: The pleasure was all mine, this artwork sparked a memory and I want to think some more on it - that is the power of portraiture isn't it!