Portret van professor A.A. van Heusden before 1874

This is a photographic portrait of Professor A.A. van Heusden made by Kannemans & Zoon in Breda. Photography, emerging in the 19th century, was as much a craft as it was a science. The process involves coating a surface with light-sensitive materials, carefully controlling exposure time, and then developing the image through a series of chemical baths. The final print, usually on paper, has a unique tonal range, surface texture, and archival quality. The photographers would have been highly skilled in operating the camera, mixing chemicals, and printing the final photograph. This emerging form of production opened portraiture to a wider middle class. Photography challenged the traditional hierarchy of the arts, calling into question the value of manual skill and individual expression. It democratized image-making, allowing for wider participation in both the production and consumption of art, subtly shifting established social boundaries of class and labor.