Portret van de medailleur en ciseleur Joannes Petrus Antonius Verschuylen, ten voeten uit 1861

This is a portrait of Joannes Petrus Antonius Verschuylen, a medalist and engraver, captured by Joseph Dupont using the photographic techniques available in the 19th century. The photograph’s sepia tones and sharp focus result from the wet collodion process, a relatively new technology at the time. This method involved coating a glass plate with light-sensitive chemicals immediately before exposure in the camera, demanding speed and precision. The resulting image captures not just Verschuylen’s likeness but also the textures of his clothing and the studio setting. Consider the social implications of this image, mass production, and the rise of photography as a profession. This contrasts with the traditional skills of Verschuylen himself, who worked meticulously with metal. Dupont, through his craft, democratized portraiture, making images accessible to a broader public. The photograph, as an object, embodies the shift from handcrafted uniqueness to mechanically reproduced images.