Portret van een peuter 1876 - 1881

Curator: Let’s take a look at "Portret van een peuter," or "Portrait of a Toddler," by William Flower Maltby, made sometime between 1876 and 1881. Editor: The immediate impact is quite striking. The light, contained within that oval frame, feels almost unbearably tender. It’s amplified by all the creamy lace. Curator: Absolutely, lace was a loaded material. Beyond mere adornment, its intricate patterns symbolized the domestic sphere, social standing, and, often, feminine virtues in Victorian society. It signifies wealth but also, through its delicate texture, vulnerability and the need for protection. Editor: Which of course had to be stitched and assembled. We're talking countless hours of skilled labor embedded right there in this photograph. Consider also the materiality of the photograph itself; an albumen print made from egg whites, highlighting a distinct social emphasis on purity, preservation, and the natural world harnessed for artistic purposes. Curator: And let’s not overlook the child’s gaze, which seems both innocent and unsettlingly direct. These early portrait photographs served as talismans, embodiments of memory meant to transcend time and perhaps ward off mortality, given the era's high infant mortality rates. Editor: It makes you think about the market for these images. They were objects of intense sentimental value but also commodities manufactured within the studio system. Curator: Indeed. Photography in this era represents an intersection of scientific precision and deeply personal expressions of longing and identity. Editor: The piece serves as a good reminder: objects, especially portraiture, often hold deeply conflicted narratives about visibility, wealth, labor, and love. Curator: For me, the image echoes with the symbolic weight that seemingly simple images carry—and how we read them can constantly shift across history.