Portret van Cornelia Maria Bon 1879 - 1882

Louis Robert Werner captured this image of Cornelia Maria Bon with photography, during a time when it was rapidly evolving as a medium. Consider that photography in the 19th century was as much about social identity as it was about technological advancement. This portrait provides a window into the rituals of bourgeois life. We see Cornelia, adorned in a pristine white dress, carefully posed, embodying the values of purity and innocence associated with childhood, particularly girlhood, in that era. The image is small and intimate. Consider how photography allowed for the democratization of portraiture. How did it allow families to hold onto and circulate images of their loved ones? It serves as a poignant reminder of the past and the complex interplay between representation, memory, and identity.