Untitled (Portrait of a Standing Man) 1880

Editor: This is an 1880 photograph, "Untitled (Portrait of a Standing Man)" held at the Art Institute of Chicago. What strikes me is the subject’s quiet dignity, despite the rigid studio setting. What can you tell me about this portrait? Curator: What I see is a powerful assertion of identity. We have an African American man in the late 19th century presenting himself in a way that defies the stereotypes often imposed upon Black individuals during that era. How does this image function as a form of resistance? Consider how the act of carefully composing and posing for a formal photograph becomes a political statement. Editor: So, the simple act of having a portrait taken becomes radical? Curator: Absolutely. It is critical to remember the context. During this period, photographic portraits of Black people were often used to reinforce racist ideologies. Here, we see an individual claiming agency over his own image. What does his clothing signify, do you think? Editor: Well, his suit suggests respectability and challenges those harmful caricatures. And the hat maybe speaks to his individual style. Curator: Precisely. This photograph allows us to consider how marginalized communities utilized portraiture as a means of self-definition and empowerment. It offers insight into the complex negotiation of identity in a society rife with prejudice and injustice. We must also wonder who this person was. Editor: That's what’s so powerful - the photograph offers a counter narrative and invites us to see the subject as an individual. I am left contemplating the complexities of representation and the strength required to assert one’s own identity during that time. Curator: And the image helps us see the ways art can be used for resistance and how we view historical contexts in relationship to Black personhood.