Portret van een zittende vrouw met muts 1866 - 1880

This portrait of a seated woman with a bonnet was made by Von Kolkow & Co. using photographic methods that were innovative for their time. Though photographic prints may seem commonplace today, in the 19th century, they represented a significant shift in image-making. Consider the labor involved in producing this small portrait. Before photography, portraits were only accessible to the wealthy, requiring the work of skilled painters. Photography democratized image production, making it more accessible to the middle class. The rise of photography studios like Von Kolkow & Co. created new jobs, but also changed the nature of labor, replacing the hand of the artist with the mechanics of the camera and the chemical processes of development. Looking at this image, we might reflect on the cultural and social implications of this shift, and the ways in which technology continues to shape our understanding of art and representation. By understanding the materials, making, and context, we recognize photography as a pivotal medium within both the history of art and the broader landscape of modern production.