Reproductie naar een foto van Willem Witsen c. 1860 - 1915

Editor: This is a gelatin-silver print, probably a reproduction, after a photo of Willem Witsen, made sometime between 1860 and 1915. It has such an intimate, contemplative feeling. What draws your eye when you look at it? Curator: My focus drifts toward the implicit symbolism of the book he holds. The act of reading has always been a potent symbol – of knowledge, of course, but also of reflection, and even resistance. What do you think the choice of portraying him engaged in this act communicates? Editor: I guess it elevates him somehow. Makes him seem thoughtful, intellectual… set apart from everyday concerns. But does the fact that it is a photo reproduction change the symbolic meaning? Curator: An excellent point. Photography itself carries weight as a symbol of realism and authenticity, doesn't it? Consider the shift when a painting is photographed. Is the essence altered, perhaps diluted, or does it find new meaning with changing medium? Does reproducibility threaten, amplify or celebrate cultural memory? Editor: Hmm, interesting. It’s like a symbol reflecting on itself. Perhaps the original context, if there was one, has changed over time by existing as an art object. Curator: Precisely! We imbue images with significance that morphs over generations, depending on the eyes and experiences that view them. The photo's symbolic power perhaps shifted as time went on. How might his contemporaries, and future viewers read the same photographic reproduction? Editor: I see your point. So even though the technology of photography suggests objective truth, the image itself participates in cultural symbolism. Thank you; that has given me a new perspective. Curator: My pleasure! The dance between intention, reception and evolution makes engaging with any artwork continually exciting, doesn't it?