Portret van een vrouw met boek in de hand, staand bij een stoel 1890 - 1918

This is a photograph of a woman with a book, made by J. Siewers & Zoon. Note the book held in her hand, a simple object, yet resonating with layers of meaning across time. The book, a symbol of knowledge, wisdom, and enlightenment, appears throughout art history. Recall Jan van Eyck's "Arnolfini Portrait," where books signify wealth and intellect, or consider the religious texts clutched by saints in countless Renaissance paintings, emblems of divine wisdom. Yet, here, the book is more intimate, more personal. It’s a subtle declaration of the sitter's literacy, a quality of the rising middle class. It speaks to a desire for self-improvement and intellectual engagement, values that echo through the ages. The book becomes a quiet act of self-assertion, a nod to progress and the evolving roles of women. This image resonates as a testament to the enduring power of symbols to capture the spirit of an age.