Portret van een moeder met kind 1887 - 1920

Curator: This is a gelatin silver print entitled "Portret van een moeder met kind," or "Portrait of a Mother with Child" by Koene & Büttinghausen, dating from 1887 to 1920. Editor: Oh, that’s lovely. I'm immediately drawn to the tenderness. It's a quiet, intimate moment, the kind that makes you feel all soft inside, isn’t it? The mother’s gaze is just… protective. Curator: Absolutely. And that sense of intimacy is intentional, playing into the contemporary appreciation for genre scenes in art at the time, depicting daily life with sensitivity. The photographic style really emphasizes the textures, particularly the lace on the mother's collar and the baby’s dress. Editor: Yes, and how stiff they both seem, or rather, how posed they seem to be. You know it's precious, but there’s something kind of formal in that rigidity. They wanted to capture it, this very specific fleeting moment, and yet...it feels timeless. Does that make sense? Curator: It does. Photography during this era was quite the statement for those who could afford it. These carefully crafted portraits weren’t mere snapshots. They served as a visible symbol of social standing. This photo offered not only an aesthetic charm, but also the socio-economic. Editor: So true. Thinking of this family wanting to show they belonged. I love the weight in her hands holding the baby. Even the background is minimal. Everything pushes you to consider the mother and child—an archetype in itself. What about that stark quality, no play of shadow, all grey tonalities, it gives the photography, what is that adding? Curator: It's part of what helps create that sense of timelessness, it brings out its rawness—unflinching sincerity without artistic manipulation. Editor: A lasting impression, indeed. Thanks, it's wonderful to think about all these undercurrents simmering beneath the surface of something seemingly simple and calm. Curator: My pleasure, its beauty lies exactly there, I think, in that dual feeling of peace and profound human connection.