Portret van een man in militair uniform, leunen op een schrijftafel 1850 - 1900

Albert Schutze made this carte-de-visite, a small photograph mounted on card, of a man in military uniform. Photography, in its early days, was as much craft as science. The photographer had to be a master of chemistry, understanding the properties of light-sensitive materials and developing processes. These images were not just snapped; they were carefully constructed through a combination of technical expertise and artistic vision. The sitter's military attire tells of the structured labor of military service. In this early form of photography, the subject needed to stand completely still for a certain amount of time. This stillness speaks volumes about the sitter's social standing, and patience required to uphold appearances. The photograph is an early, portable, and reproducible image. It democratized portraiture by challenging traditional hierarchies of art and representation. The production of such images involved complex labor that blended science and art, mirroring the period's shifting social dynamics and the rise of mass culture.