Miniatuurportret van Louis Bouwmeester c. 1880 - 1910

Editor: This is a miniature portrait of Louis Bouwmeester, probably taken between 1880 and 1910. It looks like an albumen print. There's a faded quality to it; it’s like a ghost from the past. What aspects of its materiality or creation stand out to you? Curator: Well, the albumen print process is fascinating. It democratized photography, making it more accessible but the albumen itself, derived from egg whites, connects image-making to domestic labor and food preparation, challenging our assumptions about what materials are 'worthy' of art. Editor: So, the materials themselves are speaking to broader social contexts. Is that why the specific process is important? Curator: Precisely! The meticulous coating, sensitizing, and printing processes using egg whites connect to broader questions about industrialization of photography and craft skills and labor, raising intriguing questions about artistic production at the time. This isn't just a portrait, it's about how photographic portraiture was made available to middle classes in the 19th century. Editor: I see! So looking at the material, the albumen, connects us to the economics and culture of photographic production and distribution in this time period, especially relating to consumer availability of portraits. Curator: Exactly. Think about the shift in portraiture—how it was largely only affordable by aristocracy via painting, and here it becomes available for much lower cost for bourgeois citizens via this albumen print technique. Who is portrayed, who has access to portraying themselves - the medium literally influences the message. Editor: That really reframes my perspective on this seemingly simple portrait! It’s not just about who’s in the photo but about who could afford to be. I am looking at this in an entirely new way now. Curator: Material matters, literally.