Portret van een man in een jas c. 1850 - 1875

This is a photographic portrait of a man in a jacket by Van Donkers. Photography in the 19th century was a labor-intensive process, marking a shift from traditional portraiture. Think about the layers involved: the photographer's skill in capturing and developing the image, and the sitter's role in presenting themselves to the camera. The sepia tones you see weren't just an aesthetic choice; they were a result of the chemical processes used to develop these early photographs. The final print would have been carefully mounted onto card stock. The photographer would have been considered a skilled tradesperson. Early photography democratized portraiture, making it accessible to a wider segment of society than painted portraits. Considering the choices made in its making allows us to fully understand the artistic and social values of the portrait, blurring the lines between art, craft, and social documentation.