Groepsportret van Johanna Geertruida Jonker Nije en Lucas, Willem en Maria Jonker 1861 - 1874

Curator: I see such restraint and composure here. What is your first impression of this photograph? Editor: Sepia-toned serenity! It feels incredibly still, like catching a fleeting moment turned eternal. Like they all inhaled, then someone yelled, "Hold it!" before snapping the picture. But there’s something wistful about it too... Curator: The piece is entitled "Groepsportret van Johanna Geertruida Jonker Nije en Lucas, Willem en Maria Jonker," created sometime between 1861 and 1874. Albert Greiner was the photographer responsible for capturing this family portrait. Editor: Family portraits in photography's early days always have such an intensity to them, don’t they? They must have held these poses forever! Is it just me, or does the mother appear melancholy? Perhaps it was difficult keeping the children still or holding babies that long. I wonder if photography was intended as memorializing an era of childhood since it had yet to fully flower, yet it passed quicker than portraiture had to offer up until that moment? Curator: It's impossible to know the precise sentiment in that moment. But from a socio-historical vantage point, we can certainly view portraiture as a way for the bourgeoise class to memorialize their existence. Also consider how deeply entrenched gendered expectations were during this time; stillness and decorum were often paramount for women's presentation. And to think about what a photograph may or may not suggest as truthful can launch any number of conversations about performance, spectatorship, power. The sitters have agency but they don't fully have power. Editor: Good point. Maybe there are no ‘accidental’ expressions. Knowing these types of restrictions could inform a deeper engagement to any reading of the sitters! Stillness and silence had, and continue to be used as tools, against marginalized folks so this mother holding power over that dynamic in this picture is potent. Is that parlor furniture the height of chic, or what? Curator: One wonders what a feminist reading of stillness might unpack! This group portrait can offer interesting discussions regarding both the interiority and imposed roles of women in the mid-19th century. It definitely invites consideration. Editor: The layers of possible interpretations and projections— that's why I adore staring into these captured yesterdays. Curator: Indeed.