Portret van een zittende man in militair uniform 1855 - 1867

This is a portrait of a seated man in military uniform, made by Henri Pronk sometime in the 19th century. It’s a photograph, likely an albumen print, a process that was cutting-edge technology at the time. What’s striking is how this new medium democratized portraiture. Before photography, only the wealthy could afford to have their likeness captured in a painting. But here, a member of the military – not necessarily an officer, given the relative simplicity of his uniform – could have his image preserved for posterity. Consider the amount of labor involved, too. Not just the photographer’s skill, but the work of the tanner who prepared the leather for the album, the glassmaker who made the negative, and the chemist who formulated the developing solutions. All these trades came together to create this small, intimate object. This photograph reminds us that even seemingly simple images are the result of complex social and economic forces, blurring the lines between art, craft, and industry.