Portret van G. Randon, né à Lyon, le 8 octobre 1814 before 1884

Curator: Looking at this dignified portrait, the old phrase "straight out of the 19th century" leaps to mind. We're observing "Portret van G. Randon," a gelatin-silver print photography that comes to us from before 1884 and now resides at the Rijksmuseum. Editor: Oh, he's got that wonderfully weary look, hasn't he? The kind of gravitas you only get after decades of philosophical contemplation, or maybe just really bad coffee. Curator: Perhaps. It's intriguing how photography began capturing the nuances of personality. In those early days, with the long exposure times, portraiture wasn't just about appearances. It was an exploration of the sitter's enduring essence—almost a hunt for a certain truth of self. Editor: You can definitely feel that stillness! It feels heavy somehow. But you're right, it is like they were searching for… something to fix the person there. I think that the oval shape adds to the serious and intimate mood. Makes it look like an object for an old, private frame on a precious night table. Curator: Precisely. Oval portraits carry an emotional weight from that time. But it is also interesting that he's got a sort of uniform-like formal suit that brings the figure into that specific moment of societal transition. It makes the artwork particularly relevant as an instance of cultural history and of a cultural moment we continue to look up to nowadays. Editor: Totally, I get it. Those crisp details framed against that solid dark backdrop—makes you wonder about his story. Did he like having his picture taken? Was he having a good or bad day? Also, you know... Is this picture an attempt to immortality? Curator: The picture indeed encapsulates that cultural obsession of wanting to keep alive one's cultural referents, absolutely. Editor: Fascinating, this dive into memory. It does makes me wonder... Will anyone look at my selfies in a century with such intensity? Curator: Perhaps they will. It’s about the continuity of that search for something…lasting.