Portret van een onbekende vrouw 1892 - 1895

This is a small photographic portrait of an unknown woman, made by Gustav Johan Erik Jochmann, who lived from 1865 to 1941. The work presents an intriguing case study in the social history of photography. Produced in Gouda, Netherlands, this image speaks to the democratization of portraiture during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Photography, once reserved for the elite, became increasingly accessible to the middle classes. The woman's simple attire suggests a more modest background, yet her commissioning of a portrait indicates a desire to participate in a cultural practice previously exclusive to the upper echelons of society. The very act of creating and preserving such an image is a statement about the subject’s, or her family's, aspirations and social identity. To truly understand the significance of this work, we need to delve into the archives, exploring the social and economic conditions that shaped the lives of ordinary people in the Netherlands during this period, examining photographic studio businesses and their clientele to enrich our understanding of this modest, but revealing, portrait.