Portret van de heer W. ten Entel jr. 1873 - 1876

This is a photograph, made by Joseph Dupont sometime in the 19th century. It is a portrait of W. ten Entel junior. Photography emerged as a new way of image-making, rooted in both science and industry. The photograph is an index of reality, the result of precise chemistry, optics, and manufacturing. The carte-de-visite format like this one, small and easily reproduced, democratized portraiture, making images of oneself and loved ones accessible to a wider public. These little cards were relatively inexpensive and easy to distribute. Consider the immense labor that went into making this image, from the mining of silver for the light-sensitive emulsion, to the manufacturing of the lens and camera, not to mention the development process in the darkroom. While Dupont operated as an artist, it’s important to remember the industrial context that made his artistry possible. His skill was inseparable from the wider, burgeoning world of photography as a modern industry. Appreciating the material and its process is as important as understanding its subject.