Voorgevel van het Trippenhuis aan de Kloveniersburgwal c. 1860 - 1880

Editor: This lovely old photograph, "Voorgevel van het Trippenhuis aan de Kloveniersburgwal," dates back to around 1860-1880. It's currently held at the Rijksmuseum and is attributed to Andries Jager. The aged paper and sepia tones give it such a tangible sense of history. What captures your attention most about this piece? Curator: It’s fascinating to consider what the Trippenhuis represented in its time, and what this photograph signifies historically. Built in the 17th century, it symbolized Amsterdam’s Golden Age prosperity, housing two wealthy merchant brothers. Photographs like this, emerging in the 19th century, democratized access to such symbols of power. Editor: So, the photograph itself becomes a way of redistributing that imagery? Curator: Exactly! Before photography, only the elite could own portraits of themselves or their buildings. Now, suddenly, these images circulate more widely. Consider the Rijksmuseum's role too: by exhibiting this, it's curating a particular narrative about Dutch identity, wealth, and its accessibility. Does that influence how you see the figures standing outside the building? Editor: It does make me think about who gets to participate in this "Golden Age" narrative, both then and now. Thanks, I had not considered how new media technologies might contribute to this phenomenon. Curator: It is these connections between representation and the societies that create and consume them that can be the most illuminating, both in understanding the art of the past, and the role of art in the present day.