Portret van een klein meisje in een geruite jurk c. 1863 - 1880

Editor: This photograph, "Portret van een klein meisje in een geruite jurk," or Portrait of a small girl in a checkered dress, is believed to have been created sometime between 1863 and 1880 by R. Becher. The tones are so muted, almost dreamlike. What strikes you most about this piece? Curator: The girl's dress is, to me, the most revealing part of the portrait. Think of the labour involved: growing, harvesting, spinning, dyeing the raw materials and then the weaving of the fabric into a checkered pattern. This then had to be cut and sewn into a garment, likely by hand. We’re not simply looking at a cute dress. We’re seeing the imprint of industrial or pre-industrial labor practices. Editor: So, it's less about the sitter herself and more about the objects *around* her and what they represent? Curator: Exactly! The backdrop, too, is likely a manufactured studio prop, further evidence of an emerging economy catering to the desire for image making. Look at the stool she’s sitting on – likely mass-produced with its intricate trimming! And what was the photographer's access to resources in terms of maintaining their studio? It's all about material culture. Does thinking this way change your view of the piece? Editor: It definitely adds layers. I hadn't considered how much work went into even the simplest elements. I initially saw it as just a pretty picture, but now I see it as a product of specific labor and material processes, frozen in time. Curator: Indeed. Thinking about the means of production behind art, especially photography, unveils the social and economic conditions that birthed it. I see it as more than just an image; I see an artifact of the past. Editor: I'll certainly be looking at photographs differently now! Thank you.