Portret van een staand meisje 1860 - 1880

This small photographic print by A. Nissen shows a young girl standing in what we can assume to be a photographer’s studio. In this period, photography studios were popular places for families to document their status and relationships, and we can read this image as part of the social history of portraiture. This image creates meaning through a variety of visual codes and historical associations. The theatrical backdrop, the girl’s formal dress, and the overall composition all contribute to the image's meaning. The girl's dress and the painted backdrop signal her family's aspiration to upward mobility. This is a common trope of middle class photography in the 19th century. As historians, we can use a wide range of research resources, such as census records, fashion magazines, and studio ledgers, to understand the social and institutional contexts that shaped this artwork. Art is contingent on social and institutional context.