Portret van een man 1860 - 1890

J.W.T. Rodd’s small portrait of a man is an albumen print, likely made in the Netherlands in the late 19th century. Small photographs like this one were very popular then. They were easily reproducible and could be mounted in albums, like the one we see here. These albums functioned as a kind of social register, displaying one's network of friends and family for visitors to see. The portrait format, the man’s clothing, even his pose—everything is calibrated to signal his middle-class status. The invention of photography democratized portraiture. But these images also reinforced social norms; they represented a form of social capital and an instrument of social distinction. To fully understand this image, we might consult studio records, personal correspondence, or even conduct genealogical research. Art like this is a product of specific social and institutional forces, and our understanding of it deepens when we explore those contexts.