Portret van een peuter, zittend op een stoel 1864 - 1890

Théodule Antoine Courthéoux created this small portrait of a toddler seated in a chair using an early photographic process. In the nineteenth century, portraiture, previously reserved for the elite, became more accessible to the middle class through photography. These images, often idealized, served as symbols of status and memory. Consider the context in which this photograph was taken: photography was not only a technological marvel but also a tool for constructing identity. How does this portrait, with its formal composition, reflect societal expectations of childhood and family? The child's somewhat uncertain gaze and posture, while typical of early photography, may also reveal the child's experience of being positioned and seen. This image is more than just a snapshot; it is a carefully constructed representation of childhood within the confines of nineteenth-century social norms. It prompts us to consider the power dynamics inherent in portraiture and the ways in which photography shapes our perceptions of identity.