[Studio Portrait: Male Street Vendor with Barrel on Head, Brazil] 1864 - 1866

This photograph of a Brazilian street vendor was taken by Christiano Junior, likely in a studio setting. The photographer probably used a glass plate negative and a darkroom to develop it. The albumen print, made from egg whites and salt, gives the image its distinctive sepia tone and smooth surface, but this hides the very real labor of the man depicted. Note the vendor's barrel, likely coopered by hand. The skill involved in its making stands in stark contrast to the backdrop - a painted scene that's purely decorative. The vendor's clothing and bare feet likewise suggest his working-class status. Here, the photographer is working in a capitalist mode of production. The portrait itself becomes a commodity to be consumed and perhaps exoticized. But by considering the amount of labor invested in all of the elements depicted, we see how even a simple studio portrait can reflect complex social and economic realities. It reminds us to look beyond the surface and consider the processes, labor, and materials that contribute to an artwork's meaning.