Portret van een man, een jong meisje en een baby 1850 - 1900

Julius Ortgies Jr. made this portrait of a man with two children using photographic methods that were innovative at the time. These kinds of photographic portraits became popular around the world as photography became more accessible. In this image, which was probably made somewhere in Europe, a man sits with a baby on his lap and a young girl at his side, the whole composition framed by an ornate border. The popularity of these kinds of studio portraits reflects the increasing importance of the nuclear family in Western cultures. During the Victorian era, photography studios emerged as key institutions, democratizing portraiture that had previously only been available to the upper classes through painting. The settings and props would have been chosen to project an image of respectability and domesticity. To understand this image better, one might research the history of photography studios and the emergence of childhood as a distinct social category. By exploring the visual codes and cultural references, we can better appreciate the social and institutional context that shaped this family portrait.