Portret van Dieuwertje Koning 1889 - 1925

Curator: Let's discuss this piece, "Portret van Dieuwertje Koning," a photograph dating between 1889 and 1925, now held at the Rijksmuseum. It's credited to Josephus Hendrikus Petrus Coppens. Editor: It has such a tender, intimate quality, doesn’t it? Despite the rather serious expression on the baby’s face. The soft lighting really accentuates the vulnerability. Curator: Absolutely. And look at the materiality: a classic cabinet card format, but it invites us to consider photographic production as a vital element. Editor: It’s fascinating how such an ordinary object—the palm frond—becomes symbolic in this context, creating an aura of both innocence and formality. Notice her tiny shoes…they almost have a gravity that contrasts the youth, almost a foretelling. Curator: Precisely! These are key material markers of social class and upbringing. The very act of commissioning the photography underscores status and a desire to participate in evolving modern traditions. I see it speaking of the increasing accessibility of studio portraiture, creating historical documents. Editor: And don't forget the cultural weight carried by portraits throughout history, their presence on walls like memories materialized. That expression could speak to a deeper, psychological space—an exploration of individual identity even at the youngest age. It reminds one of themes of cherubic purity alongside impending mortality that have long preoccupied us. Curator: I’m drawn to how that framing dictates our view. The photographic studio created specific contexts for social posing that reflected aspirational identities within increasingly industrial economies. So you know, there's a commodification here, making the image something to be circulated within families. Editor: The child’s clothing also evokes that tradition. It brings a poignant awareness of a bygone era and how it is preserved across the cultural and personal landscape. The adornments also hold significance: the delicate earrings hint to the status of this individual as well as this art's audience. Curator: Well said, the detail provides a wonderful intersection of symbolic meaning. And focusing on the material photograph highlights our relationship to technology and its impact on defining selves. Editor: I think so too. It helps connect the past with contemporary questions about what an image means for ourselves.