Zelfportret (op titelpagina van het album 'Fastes & Néfastes de la Photographie (...)') 1845 - 1855

This self-portrait was made by Eduard Isaac Asser, and is pasted on the title page of the album ‘Fastes & Néfastes de la Photographie (...)’. The photograph, with its sepia tones and soft focus, presents a contemplative image. The light gently models Asser's face, creating subtle contrasts that highlight his features. The composition, enclosed within a rectangular frame with rounded corners, focuses attention directly on the sitter, inviting introspection on the nature of portraiture itself. Asser, deeply involved with the philosophical implications of photography, uses this image to explore photography’s capacity to capture and preserve moments in time. The careful arrangement of light and shadow, along with the deliberate choice of a soft, almost ethereal focus, underscores the medium's ability to convey not just a likeness, but also a mood, a sense of the ephemeral. This evokes a feeling of nostalgia, prompting viewers to consider the complex relationship between art, science, and memory in the photographic process.