Portret van een man in de klederdracht van Nieuwland (Zeeland) c. 1870 - 1890

This is a portrait of a man in traditional Nieuwland, Zeeland clothing, captured by Andries Jager using photographic techniques. Photography, in its essence, is an industrial process, relying on chemical reactions and mechanical precision to produce an image. Here, the material reality of the photograph itself becomes significant. The tones, the paper, the very existence of this image speaks to the rise of mass media. Before photography, such intimate records of everyday life were rare, limited to the wealthy who could afford painting. This democratization of image-making, however, also has its own social implications. The sitter’s carefully constructed appearance, from the cut of his jacket to the intricate details of his neckwear, speaks to the performance of identity. By considering the materiality of this photograph, we see how it reflects broader social shifts. The labor, the politics, and the consumption inherent in both the traditional costume and the photographic process itself, challenge traditional distinctions between art, craft, and social documentation.