Portret van mevrouw Wilhelmina Ludovica Philippo Jonxis-Laurillard Fallot 1870

This portrait of Wilhelmina Ludovica Philippo Jonxis-Laurillard Fallot was created by Jan Bos Wz. in the Netherlands, with an unknown creation date, using an etching technique. The portrait provides us with a window into the social conventions of the Dutch upper class during the late 19th century. Mrs. Jonxis-Laurillard Fallot's attire, the sober black dress and elaborate headwear, speak volumes about her social standing and the expectations placed upon women of her class. In considering the context in which this portrait was made, we might ask how the institutions of family and class shaped artistic production. Was this portrait commissioned? What role did the patron play in determining the image's composition and style? What was the relationship between the artist and his sitter? These are the kinds of questions that art historians grapple with, using archival materials, letters, and other historical documents to reconstruct the social world in which art is made and consumed. By understanding these contexts, we can gain a deeper appreciation for the meanings and values that artworks like this one held for their original audiences.