Portret van Cateau ten Cate after 1883

This is Albert Greiner’s photograph of Cateau ten Cate. While the date of its making is uncertain, we can place it in the second half of the nineteenth century, due to both the artist’s life dates and the character of the image itself. Looking closely, we see that the picture is a photographic print mounted on card. This format was very popular in Europe at that time, especially for middle-class portraiture. Although the sitter is not a member of the aristocracy, the image mimics the formal conventions of painted portraits of the wealthy: the composition of the head and shoulders, the elaborate costume and hairstyle. The democratization of portraiture through photography allowed a wider range of social classes to participate in visual culture, although often by imitating the norms of the elite. We might look at publications such as photography journals to find out more about this artist, and learn more about the institutions and social forces that shaped his work.