Portret van een vrouw 1879 - 1882

This is Max Büttinghausen's "Portret van een vrouw," an albumen print mounted on card, created in the Netherlands during the late 19th century. This portrait reflects the rise of photography as a tool for social representation. The woman's attire, the formal composition, and the very act of commissioning such a portrait speaks volumes about middle-class aspirations of the era. Here we must consider the institutions that enabled the production and circulation of such images: photographic studios, the market for portraiture, and the social conventions that dictated how one presented oneself to the world. By researching studio records, fashion trends, and social histories of the time, we can begin to understand the complex interplay of identity, representation, and social status that this seemingly simple portrait encapsulates. This is where the historian's work begins, delving into the context that gives an image its deeper meaning.