Portret van een baby 1870 - 1910

Editor: Here we have Victor Angerer's "Portret van een baby," a gelatin silver print, dating roughly from 1870 to 1910. It's so classically framed! I’m struck by the direct gaze of the baby. It's so serious and confident, and creates a rather formal, almost comical mood. What does this image say to you? Curator: That's a great observation. Studio portraiture of children in the late 19th century was heavily influenced by conventions of adult portraiture. The aim wasn't necessarily to capture the supposed innocence of childhood, but to present the child as a respectable member of society, reflecting on how notions of personhood were being shaped in rapidly industrializing societies. The image functioned, in a way, as a symbolic investment in the future. Do you think that's what's on display here? Editor: Possibly, though that baby's expression also reads as mildly annoyed! How does that affect the reading of this as aspirational? Curator: I find the slightly petulant expression really fascinating, precisely because it complicates that aspirational reading. The child is already expressing agency, even resistance, within these structures. The photo therefore also embodies the growing interest in capturing individual likeness. I wonder, who was this child to the artist, and why was its portrait deemed important to produce, preserve, and share? It must have meant something socially for the parents or guardian to have the child represented like this. Editor: This photo, then, captures social aspirations and individual expression in a fascinating tension! Thinking about the audience helps unlock the image for me. Curator: Yes! Considering how photography was consumed and circulated back then is crucial. It really illuminates how we understand individual identities and cultural values.