Portret van een zittende, Indonesische man 1857 - 1880

Editor: Here we have Woodbury & Page's photograph, "Portret van een zittende, Indonesische man," dating from somewhere between 1857 and 1880. I’m really struck by the materiality of this early photographic print and its rather formal presentation. What strikes you about this image? Curator: I'm interested in how this photograph operates as both a portrait and a document of colonial labor. Consider the patterned cloth the subject is wearing – likely batik. It's not simply a background detail but a product, a commodity, and a symbol of Indonesian artistry. Editor: So you’re suggesting the batik has social and economic implications here? Curator: Exactly. The means of production – the labor, the materials – all contribute to understanding the relationship between the photographers, the sitter, and the broader context of colonial trade and cultural exchange. Who produced that batik, how was it traded, and what value was placed on it? These are crucial questions when interpreting this image. Editor: That’s a good point! I had only considered it as a decorative element. Curator: The very act of photographing was itself a technological process, importing Western technology and aesthetics. The material history of the image itself – the paper, the chemicals used in processing – tells a story of industrialization and global trade. How did these photographers learn their trade, what materials did they have access to, and what impact did that have on their subject? Editor: Looking at it that way really does change how I see it! Thank you for this insight! Curator: Thinking about art through materials and their histories always deepens my understanding, and I hope it did for you too.