Portret van een onbekende man, zittend aan een tafel 1861 - 1874

This photographic portrait of an unknown man was made by Albert Greiner, likely in the mid-19th century. It is a carte-de-visite, a small paper photograph mounted on thicker card stock. The rise of photography in this period was intimately linked to industrialization. The carte-de-visite was a cheap and efficient way to produce images, relying on both chemical processes to develop the image, and mechanical reproduction to print multiple copies. This allowed for a wider distribution of images than ever before, democratizing portraiture. What’s interesting to me is the way this new technology changed the nature of art itself. While painting and sculpture were traditionally seen as unique, handmade objects, photography embraced reproducibility. This raised questions about authenticity and the role of the artist, challenging traditional notions of artistic skill and labor. The carte-de-visite was a product of its time, reflecting the rise of consumer culture and the changing relationship between art, technology, and society.