Portret van Nicolaas Beets before 1887

This is a portrait of Nicolaas Beets, made with photography by an anonymous photographer. Looking at this image, we can see that it is a carte de visite or visiting card that became popular in the mid-19th century in Europe and America. These small portraits were inexpensive and easy to produce, which democratized the process of portraiture. Photography studios sprung up everywhere to meet the demand from the rising middle classes who had money to spend on self-representation but who were excluded from the traditions of oil painting that were common in the old aristocracy. This image is also an example of how the institutions of art – the galleries, the dealers, the critics – expanded to include photography, and this had an impact on painting and sculpture as well. To understand the cultural significance of such images, historians often consult a wide range of primary sources, from studio records to family albums. It is within this context that this artwork finds its fullest meaning.