Portret van een man met baard in uniform 1868 - 1888

This is a portrait of a bearded man in uniform, made by Auguste Chapuis, who was born in 1837. It's a photograph, an object that may seem commonplace to us now, but was once cutting-edge technology. Consider the material reality of this image. It is not painted or drawn, but rather chemically produced. The daguerreotype, the ambrotype, and other early photographic processes, were all about capturing reality through technology, but they also offered a new means of control. Photography democratized portraiture. While painting was costly and time-consuming, this new method became increasingly available, offering access to a wider range of social classes. The question arises, what is lost when likeness becomes easily reproducible? What kind of labor disappears from the equation? To truly appreciate this image, we must consider its making, its material, and its social context, and how these challenge our usual notions of art and craft.