Portret van een militair met bakkebaard 1860 - 1880

Editor: This gelatin-silver print, "Portret van een militair met bakkebaard" from between 1860 and 1880 by C. Boos, it feels so formal. The man's pose is stiff, almost like a wax figure. What stories might be behind a portrait like this? Curator: It's important to see these photographs as products of their time, both artistically and socially. Photography in the mid-19th century served a specific function. Editor: Which was? Curator: Think of it as a democratization of portraiture. Oil paintings were expensive, accessible only to the wealthy elite. Photography allowed a wider segment of society to record their image for posterity. Note the military attire. Do you think this photography allowed soldiers to project a certain kind of power? Editor: Definitely. And the elaborate sideburns…they feel like part of the uniform, a symbol of status, maybe? It makes you wonder about the expectations and the ideals of masculinity back then. Was it as regulated? Curator: Precisely. And consider where this image might have been displayed. Not in a grand public museum, necessarily. More likely a domestic space, perhaps mantelpiece, showcasing family members and their achievements. This domestic setting also dictates a certain form and respectability, in the photo, that would be on full display at a familial glance. Do you think that changes your perception of the photo at all? Editor: Absolutely. It's not just a portrait; it's a constructed representation of identity meant for private, familial consumption, for remembering, or honoring perhaps. Seeing it that way changes everything!