Portret van een onbekende man, aangeduid als grootvader Rozen 1862 - 1880

This small portrait, made by Matthijs Adolph Conen, presents an unknown man identified as grandfather Rozen. It's a photograph, a process that emerged during a time of great social and technological change. Photography made portraiture accessible to a wider demographic. It democratized image-making, taking it away from a class of highly trained artists and giving it to anyone who could afford the equipment. The photograph's inherent realism stems from its mechanical capture of light and detail. It reflects a desire to document the world accurately, mirroring the scientific spirit of the 19th century. Think of the labor involved in earlier painted portraits, the sittings, the cost, and compare that to the relative ease and affordability of photography. This shift highlights a profound transformation in how we produce and consume images, reflecting a broader move toward mass production and consumption during the industrial age. Photography's rise challenges traditional hierarchies between art and craft, raising questions about skill, authorship, and the value of human labor in an age of machines.