Since photography’s inception in the early 19th century, the family portrait has remained one of the medium’s most enduring subjects. Family Portrait brings together photographs from the Addison’s collection to reveal how artists have engaged with the theme of family over a span of nearly two centuries, in works that range from formal daguerreotypes to contemporary snapshots. Some photographers turn their lenses toward their own families, offering intimate glimpses into private moments: the unguarded expressions, quiet rituals, and fleeting interactions of family life. Other artists take up the family portrait as a means of investigating broader concepts of aging, change, memory, and intergenerational connection. Depicting grief and joy, solemnity and humor, intimate tenderness and boisterous energy, these works demonstrate photography’s capacity to capture both the particular and the universal aspects of family experience. Through these images, we witness how family structures evolve, how relationships shift, and how photographic documentation itself becomes a form of preservation against the inevitable passage of time.
Generous support for this exhibition has been provided by the Winton Family Fund.
