Portret van een man met baard 1886 - 1903

This is a portrait of a man with a beard, made with photography by Johannes Jacobus van Ravesteijn. Photography is a particularly interesting medium because of its close relationship to industrialization. Silver-based processes like the one used here became possible only with the rise of chemical manufacturing. The availability of such materials democratized portraiture; likenesses became less the province of the wealthy, who could afford to commission a painting. Yet even with its accessibility, portrait photography always involved a choreography of labor. Someone had to prepare the chemicals, operate the camera, develop the image, and mount the final print, as we see here. This example reminds us that images are never simply captured; they are made. Thinking about materials, processes, and the social context of image-making helps us understand not only the picture, but also the world it reflects. It challenges us to expand what counts as art, by incorporating design, craft, and modes of production.