Studioportret van een onbekend gezin c. 1875 - 1890

This is an undated studio portrait of an unknown family by Albert Daniel Prummel. In the photograph, the family is formally arranged against a patterned backdrop, a composition reflecting the conventions of bourgeois portraiture. Prummel's lens captures a moment of posed unity, yet what stories lie beneath the surface? How do the carefully chosen garments and the stiff posture reflect the family's aspirations and social identity? The photograph raises questions about the construction of family identity in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. As you consider this image, think about the roles assigned to each member, and how the image itself plays into the narrative of family and belonging. How does this image engage with a complex interplay of gender, class, and societal expectations?