Portret van een onbekende oude man 1855 - 1885

This is a photograph by Ferret, and it presents a portrait of an unknown old man. Photographs like these used the latest technology to spread images far and wide. Its surface is a testament to the chemical processes involved in early photography; a reminder of the transition from unique, hand-crafted portraiture to mass-produced images. Looking closely, you can see the soft focus typical of the period, a result of long exposure times and the limitations of early lenses. The subject is dressed in the attire of the middle class, a suit and tie. The photograph itself, once a luxury, became increasingly accessible to a wider population. Its proliferation democratized representation while simultaneously creating new forms of labor and consumption. By emphasizing the materiality and social context of the artwork, we recognize photography not just as a medium for capturing likeness, but as an agent of social and economic change.