Portret van een peuter op een speelgoedschaap 1867 - 1884

This photograph of a toddler on a toy sheep was made by Wegner & Mottu. It's a charming image, but it also speaks to the burgeoning market for photography in the late 19th century and the democratization of portraiture. Before photography, portraits were the preserve of the wealthy, but now a family could visit a studio and capture an image of their child, often as a keepsake or memento. Studios like Wegner & Mottu were businesses, and they catered to the desires and expectations of their clientele. The child in the photograph is dressed in the fashion of the time, and the toy sheep suggests a certain level of affluence. But it's also a carefully constructed image, designed to appeal to the parents' sense of what was proper and appropriate. The image speaks to the social structures of its time, and further research would show how they shape artistic production and reception.