Rijtuig wachtend voor een huis, mogelijk Groot Warnsborn nabij Arnhem 1889 - 1893

Johanna Margaretha Piek made this photograph using a camera and photographic materials. In this image, we see a horse and carriage waiting in front of a house, possibly Groot Warnsborn near Arnhem. The photograph, with its warm sepia tones, captures a specific moment in time, reflecting the social context of its era. Photography as a medium has always been intertwined with industrial progress, relying on chemical processes and mass production. The rise of photography democratized portraiture, offering a wider segment of the population access to representation, yet it also introduced new forms of labor and consumption. Consider the labor involved: from the factory workers producing the photographic materials to the photographer capturing the image. The photograph becomes a document not only of a horse and carriage, but also of the complex web of social and economic relationships that made its creation possible. In doing so, Piek’s photograph bridges the gap between fine art and craft, reminding us of the significance of materials, making, and context.