Portret van Bastiaan de Greef 1864 - 1879

Curator: We're looking at a captivating albumen print, a portrait made between 1864 and 1879 by Leonard de Koningh. The subject is titled, "Portret van Bastiaan de Greef." Editor: It feels wonderfully, slightly tragically, ordinary, doesn't it? The gent's pose is… solid, the dark clothes hinting at industry, but his eyes carry a spark, maybe even a touch of mischief. What do you make of it? Curator: I find myself situating this portrait within the burgeoning industrial context of 19th-century Netherlands. The somber tones and somewhat rigid pose, I would argue, reflect the Victorian ideals of masculinity, self-restraint and duty. We also must ask about who got their portraits taken. Access, therefore agency, resided predominantly in certain spheres. Editor: Mmm, "agency," that’s the word. There's definitely a stillness, a posing involved, but he’s also got that slightly rumpled air. Like he just came in from doing something… important, probably, but maybe slightly rebellious. You almost wonder if he got dressed up to take a picture only after having an affair! I am kidding. Or am I? Curator: Considering De Greef within a broader frame of photographic portraiture of this period, it’s clear that this piece follows a recognizable trend. But it might prove beneficial to ask about its place, literally, in society and systems of knowledge that create normative gazes, whether De Greef fully inhabits that "Victorian masculinity" you mention. The tension makes for fascinating work. Editor: It absolutely does! I feel that tug between eras myself sometimes, right? A tiny rebellion against "being good," even when "being good" probably isn't actually good for anyone in the end, really! What do you think we lose if we only see De Greef in the box, Curator? Curator: Exactly. If we see him only in terms of, as you say, the box, we neglect his particularity and humanity, overlooking ways norms are created. Editor: True. Well, it makes me glad the fellow has been captured for posterity. A small but crucial window into understanding then and now. Curator: Indeed, the layered context you introduce shows us that even portraits tell important stories of past, present, and power.