Portret van August Wilhelm Zumpt 1855 - 1877

Wilhelm Fechner captured this portrait of August Wilhelm Zumpt through photography, a medium rapidly evolving in the late 19th century. Zumpt, a man of apparent stature in his suit and tie, presents a composed image, reflecting the conventions of bourgeois portraiture at the time. Yet, what does it mean to have one’s likeness taken and preserved? In a society undergoing industrialization, photography offered a new means of representation. It democratized portraiture, making it accessible beyond the elite circles traditionally commissioning painted portraits. The photograph invites us to consider the gaze, not only Zumpt’s, but also Fechner’s, and our own. How does viewing this image today shape our understanding of the individual and the era? This work encourages reflection on the personal and societal implications of capturing and sharing images, a practice now ubiquitous in our own time.