This carte-de-visite was made by the studio of Albert Baron & César Mitkewicz in Brussels (Bruxelles), Belgium. The mother’s gaze engages the viewer while the father’s seems unfocused. The two sisters pose affectionately as the younger one reads from a book.
Tokens of Companionship 
The father’s face is very faded and he’s got grey or blue eyes, so that is what gives his expression one of looking unfocussed. He’s looking marginally off to the side (his right). Very posed photo, I love the way photographers of the period usually managed to sneak a book into the scene!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Good point about the color of the father’s eyes. This portrait has three books in it … I wonder if they were just lying around, or if they were meant to convey that this family was particularly educated or literary?
LikeLiked by 1 person
The studio probably provided them, from the photographer’s point of view it probably made the subject or subjects look more natural.
LikeLike