Portret van Willem Jonker en Johanna Geertruida Jonker 1899 - 1900

Editor: This photograph, titled "Portret van Willem Jonker en Johanna Geertruida Jonker," was taken between 1899 and 1900 by Koene & Büttinghausen. It feels very formal and posed, a relic of a bygone era. What do you see in it from your perspective? Curator: Well, beyond the surface image of these two children, I immediately think about the labor involved in creating this photograph. The photographic paper itself, the chemicals used in development, and the manual printing process all speak to a very different mode of image production than what we experience today. Editor: That's fascinating! I hadn't considered the production process in such detail. Does the type of paper or the printing technique offer insight into the social context of the image? Curator: Absolutely. The use of paper as a medium makes this a readily available object, meaning that studio photography was expanding in use as this period transpired. Who was buying the photograph then reveals societal and financial cues regarding what was affordable or desirable at the turn of the century. Think of the sitter’s families and why this may have mattered to them to produce such an artefact. Editor: So it's less about artistic expression and more about accessible technology meeting social aspirations? Curator: Not necessarily "less about," but definitely "also about." Studio portraits, once limited to the wealthy through painting, were becoming a form of material consumption for a wider segment of the population, signaling social status through newly accessible means. Editor: That makes a lot of sense. I hadn't really thought about photography in terms of material culture before. I now realise how intertwined those aspects truly are. Curator: Indeed, considering art's means of production can provide a richer comprehension that helps you go beyond visual or conventional readings of any work.