Portret van een jongeman met een jas en een das 1882

This photograph of a young man with a coat and tie was made by Albert Greiner. While the date of this image is not known, we can still consider what it might tell us about social expectations of the time in which it was made, likely the late nineteenth century. Consider how the subject has been posed, sitting rigidly and staring off to the side. His formal attire and neat hair may indicate the rising importance of bourgeoisie values at this time. The carte de visite was a popular way to record someone's likeness. The small size and affordability of the carte de visite meant that it could be traded amongst family and friends. This format democratised the photographic portrait, but to what extent did it subvert the traditional codes of portraiture? As an art historian, my role involves looking into the social context of this image. By researching etiquette manuals and the history of photographic institutions, we can begin to understand what this image meant in its own time.